PM Wickremesinghe condemned the attack saying, "I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. He also asked people to avoid circulating unverified news. "Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation." Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she is in constant touch with the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo and is keeping a close watch on the situation.
Immediately after the blast, St Sebasitian's Church sought help through a Facebook post saying, "A bomb attack to our church, please come and help." The church, which is located at Katuwapitiya in Negombo, also posted pictures of destruction inside the church on its Facebook page, showing blood on pews and the floor.
According to National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), which represents more than 200 churches and other Christian organisations, 86 incidents of discrimination, threats and violence were reported against Christians in Sri Lanka last year.
This year, the NCEASL recorded 26 such incidents. These include one in which some Buddhist monks allegedly tried to disrupt a Sunday worship service.
The 12-hour curfew. which was imposed at 6 pm on Sunday night, was lifted on Monday morning.
An improvised pipe bomb found near Colombo's main airport was successfully defused by the Sri Lanka airforce, AFP reported. According to the news agency, a "homemade" pipe bomb was discovered late on Sunday on a road leading towards the main terminal. Airforce spokesperson Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said the IED was believed to be locally manufactured.
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Japan said one of its citizens was killed and at least four others were injured in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka. Offering his condolences to the victims of the attack, Japan expressed its commitment in "combatting terrorism" and expressed solidarity with Sri Lanka. It also issued a safety warning telling Japanese people in Sri Lanka to avoid churches, mosques, public places like malls and nightclubs, and government offices related to public security.
The Indian Express has learnt from two sources, one Indian and another Sri Lankan, that earlier this month, India passed on specific intelligence to Sri Lankan authorities that a terrorist attack was imminent threats. It appears that it was on the basis of this alert that the police chief sent out his April 11 nationwide alert warning of attacks on the Indian High Commission and churches. The alert named a group called the National Towheeth Jamaath, which preaches a puritanical form of Islam. Read more
A group that monitors internet censorship says Sri Lankan authorities have blocked most social media services in the country following the Easter Sunday attacks that killed more than 200 people.
The NetBlocks observatory said it detected an intentional nationwide blackout of popular services including Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Viber.
Sri Lankan officials said they were temporarily blocking social media to curtail the spread of false information and ease tensions. The defense ministry said the shutdown would extend until the government concludes its investigation into the bomb blasts that rocked churches and luxury hotels. (AP)
Over the course of the day, eight bombs exploded at churches and luxury hotels in and near Colombo, killing more than 200 people. The Easter Sunday violence was the deadliest the South Asian island country has seen since a bloody civil war ended a decade ago. ``It was panic mode,'' Harischandra, a 24-year-old founder of a tech marketing company, said by telephone later in the day. ``I didn't process it for a while.''
He decided to go to the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, where he thought it would be safe. But just after he was dropped at the luxury hotel and about to enter the building, he heard another bomb go off.
Now he was being evacuated. Soot and ash fell on his white sweat shirt.
His car had left, so he hailed a motorized rickshaw and went to meet friends at a coffee shop. They contacted other friends, trying to make sure everyone they knew was safe. He said there was ``a lot of tension'' in the air, but he was also hoping that the worst might be over (AP)
Kerala government will send a 15-member member expert medical team to help with the treatment of terror attack victims in Sri Lanka, Health Minister KK Shylajaunder announced. The team will be headed by Dr SS Santosh Kumar, deputy superintendent of Trivandrum Medical College
The U.S. condemns in the strongest terms the Easter morning terror attacks in Sri Lanka. These attacks demonstrate the brutal nature of terrorists whose sole aim is to threaten peace & security. We offer our deepest condolences and stand with the government & people of
#SriLanka.The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka.
Police spokesperson, Ruwan Gunasekera said the police was not able to confirm at the moment if they were all suicide attacks. He, however, said that one of the blasts at the Katuwapitiya (Negombo) church has signs of being what looked like a suicide attack. An unnamed official said a suicide bomber blew himself up at the restaurant of the Cinnamon Grand hotel. Gunasekara said that 66 bodies were kept at the National Hospital while 260 injured were receiving treatment there and 104 bodies were placed at the Negombo Hospital and 100 injured were receiving treatment at the Hospital.
The Sri Lankan ministry of foreign affairs listed the known nationalities of foreigners killed as three from India, one from Portugal, two from Turkey, three from the UK and two holding US and UK nationality. It said that there are a further 25 unidentified bodies believed to be foreigners
Indian High Commission in Colombo has conveyed that National Hospital has informed them about the death of three Indian nationals. Their names are Lokashini, Narayan Chandrashekhar and Ramesh, according to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Victims of the serial explosions come from across countries including Britain, Turkey, India. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s minister of finance says that the country’s different communities have been pulling together in the wake of the attacks.
Air India has waived all charges for rescheduling and cancellation of tickets to and from Colombo till April 24 in the wake of terror attacks in Sri Lanka that has killed more than 200 people. Besides, the airline has requested passengers to report well in advance to clear security at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. READ MORE HERE
“New Zealand condemns all acts of terrorism, and our resolve has only been strengthened by the attack on our soil on the 15th of March. To see an attack in Sri Lanka while people were in churches and at hotels is devastating,” she said in a written statement. "New Zealand rejects all forms of extremism and stands for freedom of religion and the right to worship safely. Collectively we must find the will and the answers to end such violence."
Seven people have been arrested during a raid on a house in Colombo on Sunday, according to local media in Sri Lanka. Three officers reportedly died in the raid. We’ll bring you more details when we get them. (Guardian)
The police have said that 207 people have been killed and 450 injured in the serial explosions. The police are conducting raids at various places to nab the culprits.
US President Donald Trump became the butt of jokes on Sunday when he erroneously tweeted the death toll in serial blasts in Sri Lanka as ‘138 million’ instead of 138. Trump later deleted his tweet. Expressing his condolences to the island nation, Trump tweeted, “Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels that have killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more. We stand ready to help.”
The Congress on Sunday condemned the serial blasts at multiple locations in Sri Lanka, with party president Rahul Gandhi terming it a "diabolical act of terrorism". More than 160 people were killed and over 450 injured in a string of near-simultaneous blasts at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. "I'm saddened and disturbed by reports of multiple bomb blasts in Colombo in which over 100 people have died and more than 300 injured, Gandhi tweeted. "I strongly condemn this diabolical act of terrorism. My condolences to the families of the victims. I pray the injured make a speedy recovery," he said.
138 people have been killed in Sri Lanka, with more that 600 badly injured, in a terrorist attack on churches and hotels. The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!
Mangala Samaraweera, the country’s finance minister, said the attacks were an attempt to drag Sri Lanka back to the darkest days of its brutal civil war.
The near-simultaneous blasts targeting three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday may have an "adverse impact" on the upcoming summer holiday season in the country, a well-known tourist destination, tour operators and hoteliers said. A string of near simultaneous blasts struck three churches and luxury hotels frequented by foreigners in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing more than 160 people and injuring over 450 others, shattering a decade of peace in the country after the end of the brutal civil war with the LTTE. India is the largest source market for Sri Lanka, which received 2.3 million tourists from around the world in 2018. Around 450,000 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka last year and the island nation was expecting the total Indian tourist arrivals to cross one million mark in 2019. (PTI)
On this
#EasterDay let us pray that our world finds peace & love, not hatred & terrorism. Extremely saddened & shocked at the devastating bomb blasts in#SriLanka. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May God give you strength in these difficult times.Deep sadness after the terrorist attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. We strongly condemn these heinous acts. All our solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka and our thoughts for all the relatives of the victims on this Easter day.
Sri Lankan police say the eighth explosion was a suicide blast, which killed three policemen.
Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Sania Mirza, among other Indian athletes, expressed shock and grief over the Sri Lanka bomb blasts on Easter Day that have killed more than 100 people. READ MORE HERE
Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held an emergency meeting and 200 troops have been deployed to carry out the relief operations in the country. However, the motive behind the attacks still remains unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the attack and denounced it as “cruel and criminal.” In a telegram sent to his Sri Lankan counterpart, Putin said Moscow stands with Lanka and is a “reliable partner of Sri Lanka in the fight against international terrorism.” Pakistan President Imran Khan took to Twitter to condemn the blasts and said that the country stands in support of Sri Lanka. He tweeted, “Strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday resulting in precious lives lost & hundreds injured. My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.”
READ MORE HERE
Pope Francis on Sunday condemned attacks that killed at least 138 people in three churches and four hotels in Sri Lanka as "such cruel violence" and said he was close to the Christian community, hit while celebrating Easter. The blasts, which hospital and police officials said wounded more than 400 people, followed a lull in major attacks since the end of the civil war 10 years ago. (Reuters)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had telephone conversations with President & Prime Minister of Sri Lanka & conveyed heart-felt condolences on his own behalf & on behalf of all Indians at the loss of over one hundred and fifty innocent lives in today’s terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. Terming them as cold-blooded and pre-planned barbaric acts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that these attacks were another grim reminder of the most serious challenge posed to the entire humanity by terrorism in our region and the entire world. (ANI)
(Source: Reuters)
The St. Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo bore the brunt of a series of powerful blasts across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, with a top priest saying pieces of flesh were thrown all over the walls and on the sanctuary and even outside of the church. Over 160 people were killed when six near-simultaneous and coordinated explosions rocked three churches and three luxury hotels frequented by tourists in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, officials said. Sri Lankan media reports that the Negombo Hospital has reported at least 74 deaths and received 113 injured people from Sebastian's Church. Father Edmond Tillekeratne, social communications director for the Archdiocese of Colombo, said that the blast took place after Easter Mass and that there were about 30 bodies lying in the area of the church. (PTI)
Passengers should report to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) four hours before flights - 21st April 2019 !
We have taken all the necessary precautions to keep this country safe and the people safe. We believe that all the culprits who have been involved in this unfortunate terrorist incident, will be taken into custody as soon as possible. They have been identified, and they will be taken into custody as soon as possible.
Action will be taken to stop the activity of all extremist groups in the country. Social media temporary banned. 12-hour curfew from 6 pm. The Dehiwela n Dematagoda blasts seem to be by those in the ring running from the law.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced a series of attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka as "cruel and cynical." In a telegram of condolences sent to his Sri Lankan counterpart, the Russian leader said Moscow remains a "reliable partner of Sri Lanka in the fight against international terrorism." Putin voiced confidence that "the perpetrators and the masterminds of such a cruel and cynical crime committed amid the Easter festivities will take the punishment they deserve." (AP)
Sri Lanka government says it has shut down access to major social media, messaging services. Government declares curfew with immediate effect, is unclear on when it will be lifted
The MEA’s statement read, “We strongly condemn the serial blasts on multiple locations in Sri Lanka today morning in which many people have been killed and injured. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Sri Lanka. We wish speedy recovery to those injured in the attacks. We call for perpetrators of such ghastly and heinous act and those who provide them support to be brought to justice expeditiously. We stand together with the people and Government of Sri Lanka in this hour of grief.”
READ MORE HERE
(Source: Reuters)
The Sri Lankan capital is being reported to be hit by the eighth explosion, police said. The toll is likely to rise further in the island nation.
President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, expresses solidarity with the victims.
Ministry of External Affair issues statement condemning blasts in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan golfer Mahela Jayawardena condemns attack, asks people to remain calm and united.
The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has voiced support for Sri Lanka's Christians and condemned Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels there that killed at least 156 people, reported AFP.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal condemns Sri Lanka bomb blasts in "strongest terms".
In the wake of multiple bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, security arrangements have been beefed up across airports in the country. As per reports by The National, SriLankan Airlines has appealed to travellers flying out of Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport to arrive at least four hours ahead of their flight time.
Sri Lanka bomb blasts: Arun Jaitley prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.
Pakistan Prime Minister condemned bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, expressed condolences to victims' families.
Sri Lanka's police chief issued a nationwide alert 10 days before Sunday's attacks in Sri Lanka mentioning suicide bombers planned to hit "prominent churches", according to the warning seen by AFP.
"A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama'ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo," said the alert.
Sri Lanka bomb blasts: Death toll mounts to 156, out of which 35 are foreigners, reported AFP.
According to AFP, at least 45 people were killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit; The blast killed at least 67 lives in the church in Negombo and 25 more in Batticaloa church.
Cinnamon Hotels confirms the attack in the Colombo hotel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the blasts in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena expressed shock over the incident and urged people to not be fooled by rumours. "I am shocked and saddened by the situation that has occurred. Investigations have been launched to look into what conspiracy is behind these heinous acts. Please remain calm and do not be fooled by rumours," Sirisena told The National.
Former Secretary to Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa called upon call upon the "religious leaders to come together to establish peace and understanding during this sad occasion".
According to news agency AFP, at least nine foreigners have been killed in the multiple blasts that rocked Sri Lanka's capital Colombo and Negombo on Easter Sunday. Till now, 129 casualties have been reported.