Sri Lanka serial blasts: 24 under arrest, ninth bomb defused near Colombo airport
Sri lanka blast
Twenty four people were arrested by Sri Lankan police in connection with a series of eight devastating bomb blastsin the country on churches and hotels that killed more than 290 people and injured 500, officials said Monday.
Authorities have not made public details on those held after Sunday's attacks. But a police source said the 13 were detained at two locations in and around Colombo.
Meanwhile, an improvised pipe bomb discovered close to Colombo's main airport was successfully defused by the Sri Lanka airforce, police said.
A police source told 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 churches and hotels.
Airforce spokesperson Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said the IED was believed to be locally manufactured.
People from at least eight countries were killed in the series of attacks, including five citizens of Britain, five Indian nationals, three Danes, two each from China and Turkey and one each from Netherlands and Portugal.
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According to reports, a memo that warned of a potential attack was circulated a day before the deadly explosions in Sri Lanka.
The memo dated April 11 was signed by Sri Lanka's deputy inspector general of police.
Titled "Information of an Alleged Plan attack", the memo stated, "The State Intelligence service stated that information has been received regarding an alleged plan of suicidal attack by the leader of `Nations Thawahid Jaman Mohomad Saharan`."
"According to information of that statement, would like you to give special attention and inform your staff to provide special security measures to the areas covered by your division," it read.
The warning was ignored and no action was taken.
Out of Sri Lanka's total population of around 22 million, 70 per cent are Buddhist, 12.6 per cent Hindu, 9.7 per cent Muslim and 7.6 per cent Christian, according to the country's 2012 census.
(With inputs from agencies)