Foreign mastermind may be behind Sri Lanka bombings, says President Maithripala Sirisena

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has said that a “foreign mastermind” may have been behind the series of bomb blasts that struck churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.

Maithripala Sirisena also cautioned it might be conceivable that Islamic State has propelled "another procedure" by starting to target smaller nations.

"A small group of Sri Lankans travelled abroad to receive training from Islamic State over the past decade," said Sirisena.

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Investigations revealed the bombs used in the Easter attacks were made locally, the president said in an interview.

The series of coordinated attacks that ripped through three churches and luxury hotels claimed 253 lives and injured over 500 others.

The Lankan foreign ministry has confirmed the death of 42 foreign nationals, including 11 Indians, in the blasts.

A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil medium teacher and a school principal, have been arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday blasts.

The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) for the attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)