Sri Lanka Raid Kills 16 as Pentagon Expands Military Border Role
A police raid in Sri Lanka leaves 16 dead, including suspected terrorists and civilians, days after the Easter bombings. Meanwhile, the Pentagon plans to expand the military's role at the U.S.-Mexico border by allowing troops to interact directly with migrants.
A police raid in Sri Lanka results in 16 deaths, including six children and three women, during a tense standoff with suspected terrorists in the town of Sainthamaruthu. Gunmen fire on police as three men set off explosives inside the targeted house, and an innocent bystander on a rickshaw dies in the crossfire. Six suspected terrorists affiliated with the local extremist group National Tawheed Jamath are also killed, though two additional suspects remain on the run following the violent confrontation.
The Pentagon looks to increase the military's presence at the U.S.-Mexico border by granting 300 waivers to troops, allowing them to interact directly with migrants for the first time. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan prepares to approve a Department of Homeland Security request that exempts military lawyers, cooks, and drivers from existing policies. Under these new waivers, military personnel assist in deportation hearings, transport migrants to detention facilities, and provide food and drinks while law enforcement officers conduct interviews.
Other major developments include Joe Biden raising $6.3 million on the first day of his 2020 presidential campaign and Pete Buttigieg announcing he no longer accepts lobbyist money. President Trump tells the National Rifle Association that the United States will withdraw from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, while simultaneously calling the Mueller investigation an attempted "coup." Additionally, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the White House for a trade-focused summit, and the New York archdiocese publicly discloses the names of 120 clergy members accused of abuse.