Sri Lankans panic over UFO sightings... or lights from Mars?

Residents in several parts of Sri Lanka are counting their stars after being dazzled by lights emanating from unidentified objects flying in the sky.

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) moved to allay fears that aliens from outer space were hovering in the country's air space.

SLAF media spokesperson Wing Commander Shiras Jalaldeen said that no unidentified airborne craft had been picked up on radar as yet, The Island reported.

Picture Courtesy: newsfirst.lk

He said the SLAF is keeping a 24-hour vigil regarding the unidentified lights that were witnessed in the skies over several parts of the country in the recent past.

In the wake of unconfirmed claims that Unidentified Flying Objects being sighted by people in several parts of the country, Jalaldeen said there was no clear evidence to confirm such rumours.

However, Newsfirst television channel showed footage of the strange lights visible in the night sky.

It claimed those unidentified lights was witnessed in the skies above Hambegamuwa in Thanamalwila in the Eastern province at around 8.30 on Monday night.

Picture Courtesy: newsfirst.lk

The channel also showed images captured on a mobile phone camera, in the southern skies above Ambalanthota.

An unidentified light was also recorded on a mobile phone camera in the skies above Ihalayagoda from Gampaha which is in the western province.

Jalaldeen said that SLAF had their own air defence system in place round the clock, but it had not detected any such objects coming to Sri Lanka though some people had seen a beam of light emanating from an object as shown on TV.

He stressed that an astronomer and a professor in astronomy at the Colombo University, Chandana Jayaratne had reportedly dismissed such claims by pointing out that lights seen by people emanated from Mars as a result of it orbiting closer to the earth.

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