Thirty six Sri Lankans have entered Syria secretly, BBC Sandeshaya says quoting Sri Lankan defence officials.
Among them are children and women, and they had made a pretext that they were pilgrims on their way to other countries, defence secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said.
Some of them have joined the Islamic State, or IS, he said.
Hettiarachchi said he had no details of their movements.
Meanwhile, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said he had no information that Sri Lankans had gone to Syria to join the IS.
‘The Sunday Times’ had previously reported that 45 members of nine families had left for Syria.
Also, Abu Shura Shailani, a 37-year-old from Galewela, had died in fighting in Syria, media had reported.
