The Sri Lankan government has lent credence to a controversial letter saying local outfit National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) is believed to be responsible for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-memo-circulated-a-day-before-had-warned-of-attack-212458">Easter Sunday bomb attacks</a> in the country.

The bomb attacks were carried out with the help of an international network, cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on Monday.

"We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country," Senaratne said. "There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded."

Meanwhile, a senior investigator said that seven suicide bombers took part in the devastating attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 290 people and wounded more than 500.

Two of the suicide bombers blew themselves up at the luxury Shangri-La Hotel on Colombo's seafront, said Ariyananda Welianga, a senior official at the government's forensic division. The others targeted three churches and two other hotels.

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A fourth hotel and a house in a suburb of the capital Colombo were also targeted, but it was not immediately known how the attacks were carried out.

"Still the investigations are going on," Welianga said.

"Guests who had come for breakfast were lying on the floor, blood all over," an employee at Kingsbury Hotel, one of those targeted, told news agency Reuters.

"We just picked up everyone, dead or alive and evacuated them."

Four of the bombs went off at roughly the same time, at 8.45 am, with two others coming within 20 minutes. The explosions at the fourth hotel and the house were in the afternoon.

Sri Lankans accounted for the bulk of the dead and wounded although government officials said 32 foreigners were killed, including British, US, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals.

President Maithripala Sirisena, who was abroad when the attacks happened, had called a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday, a government source said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would attend the meeting, the source said.

The US State Department said in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-revises-travel-advisory-for-sri-lanka-warns-terrorists-continue-plotting-attacks-212496">travel advisory</a> "terrorist groups" were continuing to plot possible attacks in Sri Lanka and targets could included tourist spots, transport hubs, shopping malls, hotels, places of worship, airports and other public areas.

The government <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sri-lanka-government-orders-new-curfew-after-attacks-212543">announced a curfew</a> in Colombo from 8pm until 4am. A Sunday night curfew <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-serial-blasts-authorities-lift-curfew-after-death-toll-spikes-to-290-212490">was lifted in the morning</a>.

The Sri Lankan military, who were clearing the route from Colombo airport late on Sunday in preparation for Sirisena's return, found a crude bomb near the departure gate, an air force spokesman said.

They destroyed the device in a controlled explosion.

There were fears the attacks could spark a renewal of communal violence, with police also reporting late on Sunday there had been a petrol bomb attack on a mosque in the northwest and arson attacks on two shops owned by Muslims in the west.

Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka was at war for decades with ethnic minority Tamil separatists but violence had largely ended since the government victory in the civil war, 10 years ago.

Sri Lanka's 22 million people include Christian, Muslim and Hindu minority populations.

The explosion at the house in the Colombo suburb occurred when security forces raided a house there on Sunday afternoon, several hours after the attack. Police reported an explosion at the house and said three officers were killed.

Police said on Monday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-serial-blasts-13-under-arrest-ninth-bomb-defused-near-colombo-airport-212476">24 people had been arrested</a>, all of whom were Sri Lankan.

SOCIAL MEDIA BLOCKED

Traffic was uncharacteristically thin in normally bustling Colombo after the island-wide curfew was lifted.

Soldiers with automatic weapons stood guard outside major hotels and the World Trade Centre in the business district, where the four hotels were targeted, a Reuters witness said.

Scores of people who were stranded overnight at the main airport began making their way home as restrictions were lifted.

The government also blocked access to social media and messaging sites, including Facebook and WhatsApp, making information hard to gather.

A British mother and son eating breakfast at the luxury Shangri-La hotel were among those killed, British media reported.

An Australian survivor, identified only as Sam, told Australia's 3AW radio the hotel was a scene of "absolute carnage".

He said he and a travel partner were also having breakfast at the Shangri-La when two blasts went off. He said he had seen two men wearing backpacks seconds before the blasts.

"There were people screaming and dead bodies all around," he said. "Kids crying, kids on the ground, I don't know if they were dead or not, just crazy."

There were similar scenes of carnage at two churches in or near Colombo, and a third church in the northeast town of Batticaloa, where worshippers had gathered for Easter Sunday services. Pictures from the scene showed bodies on the ground and blood-spattered pews and statues.

Dozens were killed in one of the blasts at the Gothic-style St. Sebastian church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo. Police said they suspected that blast was a suicide attack.

DOMESTIC FEUD

Wickremesinghe acknowledged on Sunday that the government had some prior information about possible attacks on churches involving a little-known Islamist group but said ministers had not been told.

The apparent lapse could feed into a feud between the prime minister and the president.

Sirisena fired the premier last year and installed opposition strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his stead. Weeks later, he was forced to re-instate Wickremesinghe because of pressure from the Supreme Court but their relationship is still fraught as a presidential election nears.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-leaders-condemn-bombings-in-sri-lanka-212499/embed" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Sri Lankan government has lent credence to a controversial letter saying local outfit National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) is believed to be responsible for the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in the country.

The Sri Lankan government has lent credence to a controversial letter saying local outfit National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) is believed to be responsible for the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in the country. The bomb attacks were carried out with the help of an international network, cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on Monday. "We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country," Senaratne said. "There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded." Meanwhile, a senior investigator said that seven suicide bombers took part in the devastating attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 290 people and wounded more than 500. Two of the suicide bombers blew themselves up at the luxury Shangri-La Hotel on Colombo's seafront, said Ariyananda Welianga, a senior official at the government's forensic division. The others targeted three churches and two other hotels. A fourth hotel and a house in a suburb of the capital Colombo were also targeted, but it was not immediately known how the attacks were carried out. "Still the investigations are going on," Welianga said. "Guests who had come for breakfast were lying on the floor, blood all over," an employee at Kingsbury Hotel, one of those targeted, told news agency Reuters. "We just picked up everyone, dead or alive and evacuated them." Four of the bombs went off at roughly the same time, at 8.45 am, with two others coming within 20 minutes. The explosions at the fourth hotel and the house were in the afternoon. Sri Lankans accounted for the bulk of the dead and wounded although government officials said 32 foreigners were killed, including British, US, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. President Maithripala Sirisena, who was abroad when the attacks happened, had called a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday, a government source said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would attend the meeting, the source said. The US State Department said in a travel advisory "terrorist groups" were continuing to plot possible attacks in Sri Lanka and targets could included tourist spots, transport hubs, shopping malls, hotels, places of worship, airports and other public areas. The government announced a curfew in Colombo from 8pm until 4am. A Sunday night curfew was lifted in the morning. The Sri Lankan military, who were clearing the route from Colombo airport late on Sunday in preparation for Sirisena's return, found a crude bomb near the departure gate, an air force spokesman said. They destroyed the device in a controlled explosion. There were fears the attacks could spark a renewal of communal violence, with police also reporting late on Sunday there had been a petrol bomb attack on a mosque in the northwest and arson attacks on two shops owned by Muslims in the west. Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka was at war for decades with ethnic minority Tamil separatists but violence had largely ended since the government victory in the civil war, 10 years ago. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include Christian, Muslim and Hindu minority populations. The explosion at the house in the Colombo suburb occurred when security forces raided a house there on Sunday afternoon, several hours after the attack. Police reported an explosion at the house and said three officers were killed. Police said on Monday 24 people had been arrested, all of whom were Sri Lankan. SOCIAL MEDIA BLOCKED Traffic was uncharacteristically thin in normally bustling Colombo after the island-wide curfew was lifted. Soldiers with automatic weapons stood guard outside major hotels and the World Trade Centre in the business district, where the four hotels were targeted, a Reuters witness said. Scores of people who were stranded overnight at the main airport began making their way home as restrictions were lifted. The government also blocked access to social media and messaging sites, including Facebook and WhatsApp, making information hard to gather. A British mother and son eating breakfast at the luxury Shangri-La hotel were among those killed, British media reported. An Australian survivor, identified only as Sam, told Australia's 3AW radio the hotel was a scene of "absolute carnage". He said he and a travel partner were also having breakfast at the Shangri-La when two blasts went off. He said he had seen two men wearing backpacks seconds before the blasts. "There were people screaming and dead bodies all around," he said. "Kids crying, kids on the ground, I don't know if they were dead or not, just crazy." There were similar scenes of carnage at two churches in or near Colombo, and a third church in the northeast town of Batticaloa, where worshippers had gathered for Easter Sunday services. Pictures from the scene showed bodies on the ground and blood-spattered pews and statues. Dozens were killed in one of the blasts at the Gothic-style St. Sebastian church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo. Police said they suspected that blast was a suicide attack. DOMESTIC FEUD Wickremesinghe acknowledged on Sunday that the government had some prior information about possible attacks on churches involving a little-known Islamist group but said ministers had not been told. The apparent lapse could feed into a feud between the prime minister and the president. Sirisena fired the premier last year and installed opposition strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his stead. Weeks later, he was forced to re-instate Wickremesinghe because of pressure from the Supreme Court but their relationship is still fraught as a presidential election nears.

Sri Lanka says local militant group National Thowheed Jamath behind Easter Sunday blasts

Sri Lanka was rocked by multiple explosions on Sunday, including three blasts on church services celebrating Easter.

Three of Colombo's high-end hotels were also targeted in quick succession, police and security services said.&nbsp;

At least 42 people killed and 280 have been injured in the blasts as worshippers were attending Easter Sunday services, a hospital official said.

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"More than hundred people have already been admitted, and more are still coming in," an official at the Colombo National Hospital said on condition of anonymity.

Police said the blasts hit churches in the north of the capital and in the town of Negombo, just outside Colombo.

The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear.

"A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there," read a post in English on the Facebook page of the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo.

Only around six per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

Sri Lanka was rocked by multiple explosions on Sunday, including three blasts on church services celebrating Easter. Three of Colombo's high-end hotels were also targeted in quick succession, police and security services said.

Sri Lanka was rocked by multiple explosions on Sunday, including three blasts on church services celebrating Easter. Three of Colombo's high-end hotels were also targeted in quick succession, police and security services said. At least 42 people killed and 280 have been injured in the blasts as worshippers were attending Easter Sunday services, a hospital official said. "More than hundred people have already been admitted, and more are still coming in," an official at the Colombo National Hospital said on condition of anonymity. Police said the blasts hit churches in the north of the capital and in the town of Negombo, just outside Colombo. The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear. "A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there," read a post in English on the Facebook page of the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo. Only around six per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. (With inputs from AFP)

At least 42 killed, nearly 300 injured as serial explosions hit Sri Lanka

Christians marked Easter Sunday (April 1) with a mass led by the acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Hundreds of pilgrims came to the church in the Old City, for a mass to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Christians believe Jesus's body was buried at what became the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The congregation in the church sang hymns during the celebration. The Easter week culminates on Easter Sunday when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, three days after being crucified.

Shortly after the service ended hundreds of Orthodox Christians arrived at the church for a Palm Sunday service, to mark the beginning of their Easter week festivities. The worshippers entered the church waving palm fronds and branches. The service was led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III.

In Gaza City, the small community of Christians, most of them Greek Orthodox, held a Palm Sunday service at the Saint Porfirios church.

Gaza has only 1,000 Christians among a population of 2 million in the narrow coastal strip.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter a week later, when Palestinians and pilgrims from around the world attend the ceremony of the Holy Fire.

Hundreds of pilgrims came to the church in the Old City, for a mass to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christians marked Easter Sunday (April 1) with a mass led by the acting Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Hundreds of pilgrims came to the church in the Old City, for a mass to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Christians believe Jesus's body was buried at what became the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The congregation in the church sang hymns during the celebration. The Easter week culminates on Easter Sunday when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, three days after being crucified. Shortly after the service ended hundreds of Orthodox Christians arrived at the church for a Palm Sunday service, to mark the beginning of their Easter week festivities. The worshippers entered the church waving palm fronds and branches. The service was led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III. In Gaza City, the small community of Christians, most of them Greek Orthodox, held a Palm Sunday service at the Saint Porfirios church. Gaza has only 1,000 Christians among a population of 2 million in the narrow coastal strip. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter a week later, when Palestinians and pilgrims from around the world attend the ceremony of the Holy Fire.

Easter Sunday mass held at Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre

A major terrorist attack was foiled by the Pakistani army in Lahore, after a suspected militant was killed and a woman arrested during an overnight military operation.

Lahore, the country&#39;s cultural capital, was the scene of a bloody attack on Easter Sunday in 2016 when at least 75 people were killed and over 300 wounded.

&quot;A major terrorist attack planned for Easter in Lahore tomorrow was successfully foiled by intelligence agencies,&quot; a military statement said.

The army did not mention the affiliation of the militant.

The security forces also impounded suicide jackets and explosives.

Pakistan television agency Dunya News identified the slain militant as Tariq.

But nipping the terror plot took the army several hours into the night before they could kill the militant. Four soldiers were injured during the overnight raid which took place near Punjab Housing Society.

Pakistan suffered a surge of violent attacks in February that killed 130 people and shook citizens, who had been emboldened by a tentative sense of growing security.

The attacks included a bomb blast in Lahore on February 13 which killed 14 people in an assault claimed by Pakistani Taliban faction.

Seven people were also killed and 19 wounded in the city during a Taliban suicide attack targeting a census team on April 5. &nbsp;

The renewed violence has dented optimism after the country appeared to be making strong gains in its decade-and-a-half long war on militancy, with analysts speaking of a militant resurgence.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

An overnight army operation in a building in Lahore, killing a suspected militant

A major terrorist attack was foiled by the Pakistani army in Lahore, after a suspected militant was killed and a woman arrested during an overnight military operation. Lahore, the country's cultural capital, was the scene of a bloody attack on Easter Sunday in 2016 when at least 75 people were killed and over 300 wounded. "A major terrorist attack planned for Easter in Lahore tomorrow was successfully foiled by intelligence agencies," a military statement said. The army did not mention the affiliation of the militant. The security forces also impounded suicide jackets and explosives. Pakistan television agency Dunya News identified the slain militant as Tariq. But nipping the terror plot took the army several hours into the night before they could kill the militant. Four soldiers were injured during the overnight raid which took place near Punjab Housing Society. Pakistan suffered a surge of violent attacks in February that killed 130 people and shook citizens, who had been emboldened by a tentative sense of growing security. The attacks included a bomb blast in Lahore on February 13 which killed 14 people in an assault claimed by Pakistani Taliban faction. Seven people were also killed and 19 wounded in the city during a Taliban suicide attack targeting a census team on April 5. The renewed violence has dented optimism after the country appeared to be making strong gains in its decade-and-a-half long war on militancy, with analysts speaking of a militant resurgence. (WION with inputs from AFP)

'Major' Easter Sunday attack nipped in the bud by Pakistan army

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Sri Lanka says local militant group National Thowheed Jamath behind Easter Sunday blasts

At least 42 killed, nearly 300 injured as serial explosions hit Sri Lanka

Easter Sunday mass held at Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre

'Major' Easter Sunday attack nipped in the bud by Pakistan army