CCTV footage shows the suspect enter an elevator with a backpack
Highlights
- Shangri-La was one of the three five-star hotels targeted in the attack
- Footage shows the suspected terrorists enter an elevator in the hotel
- The ISIS has claimed responsibility for the fatal bombings
CCTV footage from the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lanka capital Colombo shows two suspected terrorists wandering around the hotel, three days after the devastating blasts across the island nation on Easter killed over 350 people and injured over 500.
Shangri-La was one of the three five-star hotels from where explosions were reported.
The CCTV footage, shared by news agency ANI and aired by a local Sri Lankan channel, shows the suspected terrorists enter an elevator in the hotel, donning blue caps and carrying backpacks. They are seen exiting the elevator soon after. The footage then shows one of the suspects at what looks like the hotel's restaurant walking around with the bag. Quite a number of people were present at the spot.
On Tuesday, another footage showed one of the alleged suicide bombers entering the St Sebastian Church in Negombo, moments before a blast ripped through the church.
Both the church and the Shangri-La hotel were among the eight places where the string of explosions took place. The deadly blasts injured over 500; the casualties had many foreigners including eight Indians. The Sri Lankan police have taken 58 suspects in custody.
The powerful blasts - six in quick succession on Easter morning and then two more hours later - left the island nation grieving.
The suicide bombers hit three Colombo luxury hotels popular with foreign tourists -- the Cinnamon Grand, the Shangri-La and the Kingsbury -- and three churches: two in the Colombo region and one in the eastern city of Batticaloa.
The ISIS has claimed responsibility for the fatal bombings. The terror group has also released a video of eight men who are said to have carried out the attack. The men declare their loyalty to their group's leader in the video. Only one man has his face uncovered in the video.
The attacks brought a shattering end to a calm that had existed in the Indian Ocean island since a bitter civil war ended 10 years ago.