This Article is From Apr 22, 2019

Sri Lanka Police Find 87 Bomb Detonators At Colombo's Main Bus Station: Updates

Bomb Blast in Sri Lanka Updates: 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.

Sri Lanka Police Find 87 Bomb Detonators At Colombo's Main Bus Station: Updates

Sri Lanka Blast: 290 were killed and hundreds injured in 8 bomb blasts in Sri Lanka.

New Delhi:

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:

Apr 22, 2019 21:59 (IST)
Documents seen by AFP show Sri Lanka's police chief issued a warning on April 11, saying that a "foreign intelligence agency" had reported NTJ was planning attacks on churches and the Indian high commission.
Apr 22, 2019 21:52 (IST)
Sri Lanka Narrows Down On Islamist Group After Blasts, Declares Emergency
Apr 22, 2019 21:12 (IST)
"As a government, we apologize to families and other institutions. The problem is that even when we met the Prime Minister at the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister was also in the dark," he said.
Apr 22, 2019 19:10 (IST)
Interpol sends team to investigate Sri Lanka attacks
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.
Apr 22, 2019 18:50 (IST)
Sri Lanka announces compensation for bomb blast victims
The Sri Lankan government today announced that it will compensate the victims of the ghastly bomb blasts that hit churches and luxury hotels. 

Government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said that the each victim in the attacks will be paid 1 million Sri Lankan rupees ($5,722), while about 100,000 Sri Lankan rupees ($572) would be given for the costs of the funeral processions, The Sunday Times reported.

Apr 22, 2019 18:09 (IST)
Sri Lanka Blames Local Islamist Group Behind Easter Bomb Blasts
Sri Lanka said Monday it believed a local Islamist extremist group was behind deadly suicide bomb blasts that killed nearly 300 people. Not much is known about the NTJ, but documents seen by AFP show Sri Lanka's police chief issued a warning on April 11, saying a "foreign intelligence agency" had reported the group was planning attacks on churches and the Indian high commission.
Apr 22, 2019 16:44 (IST)
Explosion In Van Near Colombo Church When Officials Were Defusing Bomb
"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 explosion happened around 50 metres from the St Anthony's Shrine, one of three churches targeted in a string of suicide bombs on Sunday that killed nearly 300 people.
Apr 22, 2019 15:40 (IST)
The US and Canada have issued travel advisories to their citizens seeking to visit Sri Lanka, citing threats of terrorism. 

According to advisories, travellers should exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka due the current security situation.  

The US Embassy said terrorists may attack with little or no warning targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports and other public areas.
Apr 22, 2019 15:08 (IST)
The Indian Coast Guard is on high alert along the maritime boundary with Sri Lanka, news agency ANI quoted sources. Ships and maritime surveillance aircraft Dornier have been deployed on the maritime border to prevent any attempts by suicide bombing perpetrators to escape from Sri Lanka.
Apr 22, 2019 14:52 (IST)
"International Network" Involved In Sri Lanka Bombings: Cabinet Spokesman:
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."
Apr 22, 2019 13:44 (IST)
Apr 22, 2019 13:43 (IST)
Sri Lankan President Appoints Committee To Probe Deadly Serial Blasts:
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. 
Apr 22, 2019 13:14 (IST)
Sri Lankan authorities order curfew in Colombo from 8 pm on Monday to 4 am on Tuesday, the island country's government information department said. An indefinite curfew ordered yesterday after the attacks was lifted early today but a two-day holiday was decreed in a bid to reduce public traffic.
Apr 22, 2019 12:39 (IST)
The Kerala government has formed a medical team of 15 experts to assist Sri Lanka blasts victims. Discussion between the Kerala government and the Ministry of External Affairs is underway to make necessary arrangements to send the team to Sri Lanka to assist the blast victims.
Apr 22, 2019 12:03 (IST)
Apr 22, 2019 11:34 (IST)
Apr 22, 2019 11:29 (IST)
Sri Lanka PM Says Bombing Suspects Local, Information Was There:
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."
Apr 22, 2019 11:05 (IST)
Apr 22, 2019 10:53 (IST)
The US State Department said in a revised travel advisory 'terrorist groups' were continuing to plot possible attacks in Sri Lanka after 290 people were killed and about 500 wounded in blasts in churches and luxury hotels yesterday. "Terrorists may attack with little or no warning," it said in the revised warning, which was dated Sunday US time.
Apr 22, 2019 08:56 (IST)
Sri Lankan reports say police have arrested 24 suspects till now in connection with the attacks on churches and hotels.
Apr 22, 2019 08:45 (IST)
Apr 22, 2019 08:41 (IST)
Number Of Dead In Sri Lanka Rises To 290:
The number of dead from attacks on churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka rose significantly to 290, and about 500 people were also wounded, police said today.

The number of dead overnight had stood at 207.
Apr 22, 2019 08:29 (IST)
Apr 22, 2019 07:54 (IST)
Curfew imposed in Sri Lanka following a series of explosions yesterday was lifted at 6 am today, as scheduled.
Apr 22, 2019 07:41 (IST)
13 Arrested In Sri Lanka Bomb Blasts:
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.

The source said the 13 men are from the same radical group.
Apr 22, 2019 07:39 (IST)
2 More Indians Killed In Sri Lanka Serial Bomb Blasts:
Apr 22, 2019 07:32 (IST)
SriLankan Airlines Asks Passengers To Report To Airport Check-In 4 Hours Early:
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.
Apr 22, 2019 07:21 (IST)
Eiffel Tower Lights Dimmed In Tribute To Sri Lanka Bomb Blast Victims:
Apr 22, 2019 07:15 (IST)
An improvised pipe bomb discovered close to Colombo's main airport was successfully diffused by the Sri Lanka airforce, news agency AFP quoted the police. A police source told news agency AFP that a "homemade" pipe bomb had been found late Sunday on a road leading towards the main terminal, which remains open with heavy security after deadly attacks on churchs and hotels. 

Airforce spokesperson Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said the IED was believed to be locally manufactured. "It was a crude six-foot pipe bomb that was found by the roadside," an air force spokesman said. "We have removed it and safely defused it at an air force location."
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