A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on Sunday, killing 290 people, including dozens of foreigners. The apparently coordinated attacks were the deadliest to hit the country in the decade since the end of a bloody civil war that killed up to 100,000 people and evoked painful memories for many Sri Lankans. They also marked a devastating escalation of violence against the country's Christian minority that has been targeted in the past, but never to such brutal effect. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the government said eight people had been arrested and investigators would look into whether the attackers had "overseas links". Sri Lanka also imposed a nationwide curfew and curbed social media access to prevent "wrong information" from spreading in the country of 21 million people. The powerful blasts -- six in quick succession and then two more hours later -- injured hundreds. At least two of them involved suicide bombers, including one who lined up at a hotel breakfast buffet before unleashing carnage.
Here are the updates a day after deadly Sri Lanka bomb blasts:
Interpol is deploying a team of investigators, including experts in disaster victim identification, to Sri Lanka to help local authorities in the aftermath of deadly suicide bomb blasts. "If required, additional expertise in digital forensics, biometrics, as well as photo and video analysis will also be added to the team on the ground," it added.
The Sri Lankan government today announced that it will compensate the victims of the ghastly bomb blasts that hit churches and luxury hotels.
"The van exploded when the bomb defusing unit of the STF (Special Task Force) and air force tried to difuse the bomb," the witness said.
The Sri Lankan government believes a local Islamist extremist group called the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) was behind the deadly suicide bomb attacks that killed nearly 300 people, government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said today. The Easter Sunday bomb attacks in Sri Lanka were carried out with the help of an international network, Rajitha Senaratne said. "We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country," Rajitha Senaratne said. "There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded."
"Where is God?": Sri Lankans stunned after deadly blasts https://t.co/Xcd0naL1RP#SriLanka #SriLankaBlasts pic.twitter.com/3hFsvetDRq
- NDTV (@ndtv) 22 April 2019
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today appointed a three-member committee headed by an top court judge to probe the country's deadliest terror attack and submit a report within two weeks, according to media reports. President Sirisena, who was on a private visit to India and Singapore, returned to Colombo today.
290 including 5 Indians killed in Sri Lanka serial blasts https://t.co/6SIG2Z9WTL#SriLanka #SriLankaBlasts pic.twitter.com/V5PcucyA2X
- NDTV (@ndtv) 22 April 2019
Sri Lanka suicide bomber queued at hotel buffet, then set off the blast https://t.co/oQLUCXttYr#SriLanka #SriLankaBlasts pic.twitter.com/WcwhxwwVKN
- NDTV (@ndtv) 22 April 2019
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters that some government officials had prior intelligence about the attacks but didn't act on it. "Information was there," he said at a news conference. "This is a matter we need to look into."
External affairs Min. @SushmaSwaraj has confirmed the death of two Kannadigas,KG Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa, in the bomb blasts in #Colombo.
- H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) 22 April 2019
I am deeply shocked at the loss of our JDS party workers, whom I know personally. We stand with their families in this hour of grief
5 Indians among 290 killed in Sri Lanka serial blasts https://t.co/rWJqPzB8pP
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 22, 2019
Track updates: https://t.co/kihyAJlR1h #SriLanka #SriLankaBlasts pic.twitter.com/YcztCuSlA8
#Update | Number of dead from attacks on Sri Lankan churches and hotels rises to 290, about 500 injured: Reuters quoting police spokesman#SriLanka #SriLankaBlasts pic.twitter.com/L1yfsMX5fN
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 22, 2019
Sri Lankan police have arrested 13 men in connection with bomb blasts on churches and hotels that killed more than 200 people, news agency AFP. Authorities have not made public details on those arrested after Sunday's attacks. But a police source told news agency AFP the 13 were detained at two locations in and around Colombo.
@SushmaSwaraj
- India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) 22 April 2019
We sadly confirm the deaths of the following two individuals in the blasts yesterday:
- K G Hanumantharayappa
-M Rangappa.
There were disruptions to flights in Sri Lanka, but the country's national carrier SriLankan has asked leaving passengers to report to check-in counters at least four hours prior to departure because of tight security checks at the Bandaranaike International airport.
The Eiffel Tower before and after it went dark at midnight in a tribute to the victims of Sri Lanka blasts#SriLanka #SriLankaBlasts #Colombo pic.twitter.com/0WtTe48PXs
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 22, 2019
