By Randev Jayasinha Photo Indika Handuwala A major search operation was conducted in the greater Colombo area yesterday and similar operations are to be carried out in other parts of the country. The military carried out the search operations on the instructions of the Overall Operations Command (OOC). Speaking to The Sunday Morning, acting Military Spokesman Major General Roshan Seneviratne said that the search operations were being conducted based on general information provided by the public. “The OOC received several general statements from the public and in response to this information, the OOC will be conducting search operations. This information could be, and is not limited to, complaints pertaining to suspicious persons and any concerning movement or activity in neighbourhoods,” he said. He further added that in the future, search operations of this nature will be conducted under the state of emergency to ensure public safety and security. Around 3,000 Army troops were deployed for the operations conducted in the Western Province and Puttalam District yesterday. On 29 April, following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, all Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police areas within the Western Province and Puttalam District were placed under the purview of the OOC. The OOC functions under the command of Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. [foogallery id="33053"]