A man who was arrested over holding two children hostage yesterday (March 05), has been remanded until May 17, reports say.

The children were rescued by the STF after a nine-hour operation.

The suspect had come with a hand grenade to kill his wife who was living at the Government Servants Housing Complex in Jalthara last evening and took the children hostage.

The two children had been admitted to the Homagama Hospital as the suspect had injected them with something.