Category: Local News

The death toll from the Easter suicide bombings in Sri Lanka rose to 359 and more suspects have been arrested, police said Wednesday.

Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratna said that despite the international intelligence services having informed the country’s security network of possible terror attacks, targeting Christian, Catholic Churches and five-star hotels before 21 April and 10 minutes even before the attacks, failure to take preventive measures by those concerned, had been a grave mistake.

Eighteen suspects have been arrested by the Police Special Task Force in search operations carried out last night.

Isis has released a picture claiming to show the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday bomb massacre in Sri Lanka, that killed 321 people.

India is helping Sri Lanka probe the attacks with “technical and intelligence” support, and Indian security agencies are watching a Tamil Naidu-based cleric, The Hindustan Times quoted officials as having said.

The Police, Tri-Forces and other branches of the security apparatus would be restructured within a week and changes will be made to those heading security institutions within the next 24 hours, President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday night.

The police curfew will be imposed across the island from 9.00 pm tonight to 4.00 am tomorrow, the government announced today.

Islamic state has claimed responsibility for coordinated bombings in Sri Lanka which killed 321 people and injured about 500 others, the group’s AMAQ news agency said on Tuesday.

The Deputy Inspector General of the Colombo Police Division has instructed all senior officers attached to Police Stations in Colombo to increase security after receiving information of a suspicious lorry and van in Colombo.

Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa says the incumbent government should instruct the authorities to take actions on the country’s security.

State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene today revealed that the Easter Sunday attacks were retaliation for recent New Zealand mosque attacks.

Vehicle owners are advised to display their contact numbers and names clearly in front of their respective vehicles when parking at public places, Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara says.

The death toll in the series of explosions that took place on the Easter Sunday (21st of April) has increased up to 321, says the Police Media Spokesperson.

A three-minute silence will be observed island-wide from 8.30 a.m. today in remembrance of those killed in Sunday’s attacks in Sri Lanka.

An act of any civilized world would be to condemn the Easter Sunday blasts that claimed the lives of over 300 innocent civilians and injured over 450 others, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

One of the suicide bombers, who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks, had been released from police custody a few months back due to pressure from a powerful politician, Minister Kabir Hashim revealed, yesterday.