Five people were killed in separate incidents in Sri Lanka Friday, marring a national holiday Thai Pongal significant to the minority Tamil community.

Three members belonging to a suspected underworld gang were killed when they exchanged gunfire with the police in the north Colombo area of Mattakkuliya, the police said.

The police raided the suspected safe house around 5:30 AM local time when the gang opened fire at the police party.

The police returned the gunfire, killing three of them while three others suffered serious injuries. Some weapons in their possession were seized by the police.

In the other shooting incident two others were killed when an unidentified gunman fired at a bus at Aluthgama, 59 km south of Colombo around 7:30 AM local time.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2005)