Sri Lanka has released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the deadly Easter attacks that killed nearly 250 people. Police have intensified search and arrested 16 people, taking the number of those in custody to 76.

Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of local terror group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday.

Police on Thursday released the names and pictures of the suspects and sought information regarding them from the public.

Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts.

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Police seek public assistance to arrest several Easter Sunday attack suspects <a href="https://t.co/rdLJen7jel">pic.twitter.com/rdLJen7jel</a>
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Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations.

Over 5,000 army personnel have been deployed around the country.

"During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Airforce and 600 from the Navy," military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said.

A minor explosion happened behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 Kms north of Colombo. The police said that the explosion occurred in a garbage dump and that there were no injuries. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause.

Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and to place roadblocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations.

The regulations were adopted without a vote in Parliament on Wednesday.

The curfew will be imposed at 10 PM.

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local Catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said.

On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks.

Sri Lanka has released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the deadly Easter attacks that killed nearly 250 people.

Sri Lanka has released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the deadly Easter attacks that killed nearly 250 people. Police have intensified search and arrested 16 people, taking the number of those in custody to 76. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of local terror group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. Police on Thursday released the names and pictures of the suspects and sought information regarding them from the public. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Police seek public assistance to arrest several Easter Sunday attack suspects pic.twitter.com/rdLJen7jel — Sri Lanka Police (@SriLankaPolice2) April 25, 2019 × Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations. Over 5,000 army personnel have been deployed around the country. "During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Airforce and 600 from the Navy," military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said. A minor explosion happened behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 Kms north of Colombo. The police said that the explosion occurred in a garbage dump and that there were no injuries. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause. Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and to place roadblocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations. The regulations were adopted without a vote in Parliament on Wednesday. The curfew will be imposed at 10 PM. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local Catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks.

Sri Lanka releases photos of suspects of church, hotel bombings that killed nearly 250 

By Greg Barton

In the wake of any tragedy, it should be enough to grieve and stand in solidarity with those who mourn. With a massive toll – about 250 dead, according to revised government figures – it feels disrespectful to the people of Sri Lanka to be dissecting what went wrong even as the dead are being buried.

But the reality is that most, if not all, of these lives, need not have been taken. We owe it to them and their loved ones to make sense of what happened and work towards doing all that can be done to ensure it does not happen again.

The Easter attacks represent one of the most lethal and serious terrorist operations since the September 11 attacks in the US, outside of attacks within active conflict zones. And this in a now peaceful country, which for all its history of civil war and ethno-nationalist terrorism in decades past has never had a problem with jihadi radical Islamist terrorism.

A return to deadlier, more coordinated strikes

The long-anticipated claim of responsibility for the attacks was made by the Islamic State (IS) on Tuesday night. This could help explain how one local cell based around a single extended family circle of hateful extremists not previously known for terrorism could execute such a massive attack. It was larger even than IS’s previous truck-bomb attacks in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The attacks follow a familiar, if now rarely seen, IS operandi of coordinated suicide bombings. The targeting of Catholic churches, which made little sense initially in the context of the domestic social issues at the heart of the country’s recent civil war, fit an all-too-familiar pattern of IS attacks on Christians, along with fellow Muslims.

The fact that 40 or more Sri Lankans travelled to Syria to fight with IS could help explain how the terror network was able to build vital personal links in the very small community of Sri Lankan Islamist extremists so it could subcontract its attack plans to them. At this point, the precise involvement of returnees from Syria and foreign IS supporters in the bombings remains under investigation.

The Easter weekend attacks more resemble the al-Qaeda attacks of the 2000s than they do recent attacks of IS. Like the 2000 attack of the USS Cole in Yemen, the September attacks in New York and Washington, the 2002 bombings in Bali, the 2003 truck bombs in Istanbul, the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, the 2005 tube and bus bombings in London, the Sri Lanka bombings involved multiple attackers acting in concert. With the exception of September 11, all of these also involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The Sri Lanka bombings exceeded all but the September 11 attacks in sophistication and deadliness, despite the fact the perpetrators were previously known only for acts of hateful vandalism.

Over the past decade, al-Qaeda has been unable to carry out significant attacks outside of conflict zones. It has also become increasingly focused on “reputation management” and has tended to avoid indiscriminate mass killings, all the whilst growing its global network of affiliates.

The emergence of IS saw the tempo and scale of terrorist attacks transformed. Most attacks took place in conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Philippines).

A number of significant attacks were conducted well beyond the battlefield. There were at least four such attacks in 2014, 16 in 2015, 22 in 2016, 18 in 2017, and 10 in 2018. The vast majority of these attacks were conducted by lone actors.

Why was it that, outside of conflict zones, not just Al-Qaeda but even IS at the height of its powers focused largely on lone-actor attacks?

It is probably not for want of trying. The reason is that most larger, more ambitious plots were tripped-up by intelligence intercepts. This is especially the case in stable democracies, including our neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia.

Why Sri Lanka?

The other big question is how one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever was able to be executed in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka was a soft target. Having successfully defeated the Tamil Tiger rebel group a decade ago through military might, Sri Lanka has become complacent. It has not seen a pressing need to develop police and non-military intelligence capacity to counter terrorism.

At the same time, it has struggled with good governance and political stability. Just six months ago, it faced a major constitutional crisis when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his deputy, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and attempted to replace him with the former prime minister and president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The attempt failed, but in the stand-off that ensued, Wickremesinghe, and ministers loyal to him, were excluded from intelligence briefings. In particular, they say that they were left unaware of the multiple warnings issued by the Indian intelligence service, RAW, to the authorities in Colombo about the extremist figures who played a key role in the Easter attacks.

Thus, despite several discoveries earlier this year of large amounts of explosives stored in remote rural locations on the island, and multiple warnings from the Indians, including final alerts just hours before Sunday’s attacks, the government and security community were left distracted and caught off-guard.

Between “fighting the last war” and fighting each other, they deluded themselves that there was no imminent terrorist threat.

What other countries are vulnerable?

If the massive attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter serve to remind us that IS is very far from being a spent force, the question is where this energetic and well-resourced network will strike next.

For all that it achieved in Sri Lanka, IS is unlikely to be able to build an enduring presence there. So long as the Sri Lankan government and people emerge from this trauma with renewed commitment to unity – and with elections at the end of the year, this is far from certain – the “perfect storm” conditions exploited by IS are unlikely to be repeated.

So where else is IS likely to find opportunity? India and Bangladesh continue to present opportunities, as does much of Central Asia. In our region, it is Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines that we should be most worried about.

Malaysia has emerged stronger and more stable from its swing-back to democracy but continues to be worryingly in denial about the extent to which it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, downplaying the very good work done over many years by the Special Branch of the Royal National Malaysian Police.

Thailand and the Philippines remain less politically stable, and rather more brittle than they care too acknowledge. And both tend to delude themselves into thinking that the problems of their southern extremes will never manifest in a terror attack in Bangkok or Manila, respectively.

The people of Sri Lanka have paid far too high price for the lessons of the Easter weekend attacks to be ignored or forgotten.

(Greg Barton is Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-has-claimed-responsibility-for-the-sri-lanka-terror-attack-heres-what-that-means-115915">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Greg Barton In the wake of any tragedy, it should be enough to grieve and stand in solidarity with those who mourn. With a massive toll – about 250 dead, according to revised government figures – it feels disrespectful to the people of Sri Lanka to be dissecting what went wrong even as the dead are being buried.

By Greg Barton In the wake of any tragedy, it should be enough to grieve and stand in solidarity with those who mourn. With a massive toll – about 250 dead, according to revised government figures – it feels disrespectful to the people of Sri Lanka to be dissecting what went wrong even as the dead are being buried. But the reality is that most, if not all, of these lives, need not have been taken. We owe it to them and their loved ones to make sense of what happened and work towards doing all that can be done to ensure it does not happen again. The Easter attacks represent one of the most lethal and serious terrorist operations since the September 11 attacks in the US, outside of attacks within active conflict zones. And this in a now peaceful country, which for all its history of civil war and ethno-nationalist terrorism in decades past has never had a problem with jihadi radical Islamist terrorism. A return to deadlier, more coordinated strikes The long-anticipated claim of responsibility for the attacks was made by the Islamic State (IS) on Tuesday night. This could help explain how one local cell based around a single extended family circle of hateful extremists not previously known for terrorism could execute such a massive attack. It was larger even than IS’s previous truck-bomb attacks in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The attacks follow a familiar, if now rarely seen, IS operandi of coordinated suicide bombings. The targeting of Catholic churches, which made little sense initially in the context of the domestic social issues at the heart of the country’s recent civil war, fit an all-too-familiar pattern of IS attacks on Christians, along with fellow Muslims. The fact that 40 or more Sri Lankans travelled to Syria to fight with IS could help explain how the terror network was able to build vital personal links in the very small community of Sri Lankan Islamist extremists so it could subcontract its attack plans to them. At this point, the precise involvement of returnees from Syria and foreign IS supporters in the bombings remains under investigation. The Easter weekend attacks more resemble the al-Qaeda attacks of the 2000s than they do recent attacks of IS. Like the 2000 attack of the USS Cole in Yemen, the September attacks in New York and Washington, the 2002 bombings in Bali, the 2003 truck bombs in Istanbul, the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, the 2005 tube and bus bombings in London, the Sri Lanka bombings involved multiple attackers acting in concert. With the exception of September 11, all of these also involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Sri Lanka bombings exceeded all but the September 11 attacks in sophistication and deadliness, despite the fact the perpetrators were previously known only for acts of hateful vandalism. Over the past decade, al-Qaeda has been unable to carry out significant attacks outside of conflict zones. It has also become increasingly focused on “reputation management” and has tended to avoid indiscriminate mass killings, all the whilst growing its global network of affiliates. The emergence of IS saw the tempo and scale of terrorist attacks transformed. Most attacks took place in conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Philippines). A number of significant attacks were conducted well beyond the battlefield. There were at least four such attacks in 2014, 16 in 2015, 22 in 2016, 18 in 2017, and 10 in 2018. The vast majority of these attacks were conducted by lone actors. Why was it that, outside of conflict zones, not just Al-Qaeda but even IS at the height of its powers focused largely on lone-actor attacks? It is probably not for want of trying. The reason is that most larger, more ambitious plots were tripped-up by intelligence intercepts. This is especially the case in stable democracies, including our neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia. Why Sri Lanka? The other big question is how one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever was able to be executed in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka was a soft target. Having successfully defeated the Tamil Tiger rebel group a decade ago through military might, Sri Lanka has become complacent. It has not seen a pressing need to develop police and non-military intelligence capacity to counter terrorism. At the same time, it has struggled with good governance and political stability. Just six months ago, it faced a major constitutional crisis when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his deputy, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and attempted to replace him with the former prime minister and president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The attempt failed, but in the stand-off that ensued, Wickremesinghe, and ministers loyal to him, were excluded from intelligence briefings. In particular, they say that they were left unaware of the multiple warnings issued by the Indian intelligence service, RAW, to the authorities in Colombo about the extremist figures who played a key role in the Easter attacks. Thus, despite several discoveries earlier this year of large amounts of explosives stored in remote rural locations on the island, and multiple warnings from the Indians, including final alerts just hours before Sunday’s attacks, the government and security community were left distracted and caught off-guard. Between “fighting the last war” and fighting each other, they deluded themselves that there was no imminent terrorist threat. What other countries are vulnerable? If the massive attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter serve to remind us that IS is very far from being a spent force, the question is where this energetic and well-resourced network will strike next. For all that it achieved in Sri Lanka, IS is unlikely to be able to build an enduring presence there. So long as the Sri Lankan government and people emerge from this trauma with renewed commitment to unity – and with elections at the end of the year, this is far from certain – the “perfect storm” conditions exploited by IS are unlikely to be repeated. So where else is IS likely to find opportunity? India and Bangladesh continue to present opportunities, as does much of Central Asia. In our region, it is Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines that we should be most worried about. Malaysia has emerged stronger and more stable from its swing-back to democracy but continues to be worryingly in denial about the extent to which it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, downplaying the very good work done over many years by the Special Branch of the Royal National Malaysian Police. Thailand and the Philippines remain less politically stable, and rather more brittle than they care too acknowledge. And both tend to delude themselves into thinking that the problems of their southern extremes will never manifest in a terror attack in Bangkok or Manila, respectively. The people of Sri Lanka have paid far too high price for the lessons of the Easter weekend attacks to be ignored or forgotten. (Greg Barton is Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Sri Lanka attacks serve as a reminder that Islamic State is very far from being a spent force

Fresh details are emerging about SL terror attacks. Perpetrators are educated, wealthy & well-travelled.

Sri Lanka on Easter Massacre: Probe continues

As a state of emergency took effect Tuesday giving the Sri Lankan military war-time powers, police arrested 60 suspects, including the driver of a van allegedly used by suicide bombers involved in deadly Easter bombings.

Sri Lanka blasts: 60 suspects arrested, 32 in CID custody

The Palm Sunday serial suicide attacks are the worst in Sri Lanka’s history, shattering its ten-year long tryst with freedom from terrorism following a 30-year civil war which ended in May 2009. Sri Lanka has known 539 suicide attacks by Tamil Tigers on land, at sea and in the air. The latest attacks have revived the ghosts of domestic wars fought with the Marxist JVP and secessionist Tamil Tigers and will have a long term impact on politics and society. &nbsp;

The economy already under stress, is expected to take a big hit. Worse, a dysfunctional government shows no signs of getting its act together as President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe remain at loggerheads.&nbsp;A stable and alert government could have avoided the Palm Sunday tragedy.&nbsp;

As it struggles to conquer the trauma, horror and loss after the attacks that left over 350 dead, it is clear that they carry the IS signature and a connect between the IS hub in the Maldives and the local radical Thowheed Jamath&nbsp;is being made. Seven local Muslim suicide bombers could not have been born overnight. Sri Lanka is also coming to terms with reality: that it could take months, maybe up to a year, for the economy of the Island state to recover; that religious friction never seen before is now a fact of life; and that if the political leadership had been decisive and united, 300 or more people would not have had to die.&nbsp;

The tourist industry has virtually collapsed when it was just reaching its peak. Tourism makes up about 5 per cent of the Indian Ocean island’s $87-billion economy supporting about 1 million jobs. It is also the third largest source of foreign currencies. Tourists from India contribute a sizeable chunk, especially after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) makes it cheaper for companies to hold conventions and offsite meetings in neighbouring destinations. In 2018, a total of 397,985 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka as against 384,628 in 2017. But after the attacks, there is a 41 per cent increase in cancellation of departure bookings for Sri Lanka from April 21 to 27 from India, with a 17 per cent drop in enquiring customers. &nbsp;

Sri Lanka needs a constant flow of currency to keep up payments on its foreign debt which amounts to about 80 per cent of the country's annual economic output. And it is rising. Much of it is owed to countries in currencies other than the Sri Lankan rupee (LkRs). In 2018, Moody's and Fitch both downgraded the Sri Lankan government's credit rating raising doubts over its ability to repay its debts. If investors lose confidence and pull out, the nation's currency could weaken further.&nbsp;

However, it is national morale and belief in politics that has taken the biggest hit. Relations between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been strained since Sirisena tried to replace Wickremesinghe with opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister in 2018.

&nbsp;The move failed, Wickremesinghe was reinstated on the orders of the Supreme Court, but ever since, the President’s office and the Prime Minister’s secretariat have been at loggerheads, stymying each other and withholding information from each other. The church attacks that the government has now confirmed were carried out by a Daesh front called Thowheed Jamath, could have been prevented had the President (who controls defence ministry, intelligence and internal security) shared with the rest of government, intelligence warnings from international agencies that the country got nearly two weeks ago. There is no evidence that the government has learnt any lessons and two parallel enquiries – one directed by the president and the other by the prime minister – have been ordered into the circumstances of the intelligence failure.&nbsp;

Although the island nation has seen nearly three decades of violence from a racial insurgency with its roots in the Tamil minority northern region, even at its peak, insurgents did not target places of worship. Sri Lanka is poly-religious with Christians and Muslims among both Tamils and Sinhala races. Tension has been reported lately between the Sinhala Buddhists and Muslims but not on a threatening scale. This attack will likely sharpen religious differences, introducing a new element in society and politics. Elections for a new Parliament are due in the summer of 2020 and a new president must be in place before January 2020. President Maithripala Sirisena has made no secret of his ambitions of another term. But after this attack, the prospects are doubtful. &nbsp;

A state of emergency has been declared giving the President extraordinary powers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Public Safety Order. For a country that had defeated the deadly Tamil Tigers, the prospect of renewed terrorism from Muslim radicals from within and next door must be numbing. As Commander of the IPKF who had operated in the north and east of Sri Lanka and seen the northern and southern insurgencies of the 1990s, I worry for Sri Lanka. The sense of triumphalism after winning the war against Tamil Tigers has engendered extreme Sinhalese chauvinism and encouraged Sinhala Buddhist extremist groups like Bodu Bala Sena to target the relatively more prosperous Muslims in Kandy and the suburbs of Colombo. The anti-Muslim rioting last year by BBS which was politically motivated spun out of control requiring a national emergency to be declared. &nbsp;

Unless the President and Prime Minister bury the hatchet and deal with the consequences of the Palm Sunday blasts apolitically, Sri Lanka could face the prospects of another internal conflict and kill Colombo’s ambitions of becoming another Singapore. It is the right time for India to gently provide intelligence and investigative expertise and also full cooperation by the government of Tamil Nadu. Any widespread discord and civil disturbances have the potential to spill over into India. &nbsp;

India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have a trilateral agreement for joint patrolling in the waters of the Indian Ocean to ensure no inimical coastal landings or escapes take place. Sri Lanka will be in mourning for a long time and the victory flag that has fluttered since after 19 May 2009 victory over terrorism at Galle Face Green will be lowered at half mast. After ten years of freedom from terrorism, Sri Lanka has lapsed into bad times. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

The Palm Sunday serial suicide attacks are the worst in Sri Lanka’s history, shattering its ten-year long tryst with freedom from terrorism following a 30-year civil war which ended in May 2009.

The Palm Sunday serial suicide attacks are the worst in Sri Lanka’s history, shattering its ten-year long tryst with freedom from terrorism following a 30-year civil war which ended in May 2009. Sri Lanka has known 539 suicide attacks by Tamil Tigers on land, at sea and in the air. The latest attacks have revived the ghosts of domestic wars fought with the Marxist JVP and secessionist Tamil Tigers and will have a long term impact on politics and society. The economy already under stress, is expected to take a big hit. Worse, a dysfunctional government shows no signs of getting its act together as President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe remain at loggerheads. A stable and alert government could have avoided the Palm Sunday tragedy. As it struggles to conquer the trauma, horror and loss after the attacks that left over 350 dead, it is clear that they carry the IS signature and a connect between the IS hub in the Maldives and the local radical Thowheed Jamath is being made. Seven local Muslim suicide bombers could not have been born overnight. Sri Lanka is also coming to terms with reality: that it could take months, maybe up to a year, for the economy of the Island state to recover; that religious friction never seen before is now a fact of life; and that if the political leadership had been decisive and united, 300 or more people would not have had to die. The tourist industry has virtually collapsed when it was just reaching its peak. Tourism makes up about 5 per cent of the Indian Ocean island’s $87-billion economy supporting about 1 million jobs. It is also the third largest source of foreign currencies. Tourists from India contribute a sizeable chunk, especially after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) makes it cheaper for companies to hold conventions and offsite meetings in neighbouring destinations. In 2018, a total of 397,985 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka as against 384,628 in 2017. But after the attacks, there is a 41 per cent increase in cancellation of departure bookings for Sri Lanka from April 21 to 27 from India, with a 17 per cent drop in enquiring customers. Sri Lanka needs a constant flow of currency to keep up payments on its foreign debt which amounts to about 80 per cent of the country's annual economic output. And it is rising. Much of it is owed to countries in currencies other than the Sri Lankan rupee (LkRs). In 2018, Moody's and Fitch both downgraded the Sri Lankan government's credit rating raising doubts over its ability to repay its debts. If investors lose confidence and pull out, the nation's currency could weaken further. However, it is national morale and belief in politics that has taken the biggest hit. Relations between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been strained since Sirisena tried to replace Wickremesinghe with opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister in 2018. The move failed, Wickremesinghe was reinstated on the orders of the Supreme Court, but ever since, the President’s office and the Prime Minister’s secretariat have been at loggerheads, stymying each other and withholding information from each other. The church attacks that the government has now confirmed were carried out by a Daesh front called Thowheed Jamath, could have been prevented had the President (who controls defence ministry, intelligence and internal security) shared with the rest of government, intelligence warnings from international agencies that the country got nearly two weeks ago. There is no evidence that the government has learnt any lessons and two parallel enquiries – one directed by the president and the other by the prime minister – have been ordered into the circumstances of the intelligence failure. Although the island nation has seen nearly three decades of violence from a racial insurgency with its roots in the Tamil minority northern region, even at its peak, insurgents did not target places of worship. Sri Lanka is poly-religious with Christians and Muslims among both Tamils and Sinhala races. Tension has been reported lately between the Sinhala Buddhists and Muslims but not on a threatening scale. This attack will likely sharpen religious differences, introducing a new element in society and politics. Elections for a new Parliament are due in the summer of 2020 and a new president must be in place before January 2020. President Maithripala Sirisena has made no secret of his ambitions of another term. But after this attack, the prospects are doubtful. A state of emergency has been declared giving the President extraordinary powers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Public Safety Order. For a country that had defeated the deadly Tamil Tigers, the prospect of renewed terrorism from Muslim radicals from within and next door must be numbing. As Commander of the IPKF who had operated in the north and east of Sri Lanka and seen the northern and southern insurgencies of the 1990s, I worry for Sri Lanka. The sense of triumphalism after winning the war against Tamil Tigers has engendered extreme Sinhalese chauvinism and encouraged Sinhala Buddhist extremist groups like Bodu Bala Sena to target the relatively more prosperous Muslims in Kandy and the suburbs of Colombo. The anti-Muslim rioting last year by BBS which was politically motivated spun out of control requiring a national emergency to be declared. Unless the President and Prime Minister bury the hatchet and deal with the consequences of the Palm Sunday blasts apolitically, Sri Lanka could face the prospects of another internal conflict and kill Colombo’s ambitions of becoming another Singapore. It is the right time for India to gently provide intelligence and investigative expertise and also full cooperation by the government of Tamil Nadu. Any widespread discord and civil disturbances have the potential to spill over into India. India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have a trilateral agreement for joint patrolling in the waters of the Indian Ocean to ensure no inimical coastal landings or escapes take place. Sri Lanka will be in mourning for a long time and the victory flag that has fluttered since after 19 May 2009 victory over terrorism at Galle Face Green will be lowered at half mast. After ten years of freedom from terrorism, Sri Lanka has lapsed into bad times. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

ISIS-linked attacks in Sri Lanka will have a long term impact on politics and society

Death Toll Rises To 321 As Sri Lanka Faces Its Biggest Crisis Since The Civil War. ISIS Claims Responsibility ISIS claims responsibility for the Sri Lanka terror attacks on Sunday. Sri Lankan government believes that the suicide bombings were a retaliation to the New Zealand terror attacks in March. Palki sums up the latest

Gravitas: Sri Lanka Easter massacre; ISIS claims responsibility

New Zealand PM says no intelligence linking Sri Lanka attacks to Christchurch. Watch video to know more.

New Zealand PM says no intelligence linking Sri Lanka attacks to Christchurch

Sri Lankan police have taken a Syrian national into custody for questioning over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-bombings-death-toll-from-terror-attack-rises-to-310-40-people-arrested-212788">Easter Sunday attacks</a> on churches and hotels.

"The terrorist investigation division of the police arrested a Syrian national following the attacks for interrogation," a source said.&nbsp;

The Syrian national was detained following the interrogation of local suspects, the source added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

So far no group has claimed responsibility for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-forgive-the-perpetrators-of-church-attack-says-head-priest-of-st-anthonys-church-to-wion-212804">Easter Sunday's suicide bomb</a> attacks on three churches and four luxury hotels that killed 310 people and wounded about 500 people.

Sri Lankans&nbsp;observed three minutes of silence early Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims.&nbsp;National flags were lowered and people bowed their heads as the silence began at 8:30 am.

The government has declared a full day of national mourning on Tuesday, with flags at all government institutions lowered to half mast, liquor shops ordered shut and radio stations and television channels expected to play sombre music.

Sri Lankan police have taken a Syrian national into custody for questioning over the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels. "The terrorist investigation division of the police arrested a Syrian national following the attacks for interrogation," a source said.

Sri Lankan police have taken a Syrian national into custody for questioning over the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels. "The terrorist investigation division of the police arrested a Syrian national following the attacks for interrogation," a source said. The Syrian national was detained following the interrogation of local suspects, the source added. So far no group has claimed responsibility for Easter Sunday's suicide bomb attacks on three churches and four luxury hotels that killed 310 people and wounded about 500 people. Sri Lankans observed three minutes of silence early Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims. National flags were lowered and people bowed their heads as the silence began at 8:30 am. The government has declared a full day of national mourning on Tuesday, with flags at all government institutions lowered to half mast, liquor shops ordered shut and radio stations and television channels expected to play sombre music.

Sri Lanka detains Syrian national for questioning over attacks: Sources

St Anthony’s church, Kochchikade, Sri Lanka is one of the targets of terrorist attack in Sri Lanka. Built in 1828 the church has historical significance. WION's Sidhant Sibal spoke to the head priest of the church Jude Fernando, who not only called for forgiveness but also spoke against seeking revenge.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

WION: What will you say to people who committed the crime?

Fr Jude Fernando: We love peace. We forgive. Our God is the God of Peace and he is not the God of Revenge. We love each other, we forgive. I can't understand why this happened. We will build the church, but it can't bring back the lives of people who were killed.&nbsp;

WION: Church will be back again?

Fr Jude Fernando: We will do our best. Right now investigations are going on. Not planned anything, once the investigation is over we will do something. Certainly, we will build back the church.

WION: What happened on Sunday?

Fr Jude Fernando: It was Easter mass at 8am. I was in my office and at 8.45am the bast took place. I can’t even imagine the sound is like. With the help of rescuers and community, we sent all those who sustained injuries to the hospital as soon as possible. And now, investigations are on. Massive damage to the church. The whole roof is gone. It's unimaginable and unthinkable what really happened. My humble request is to maintain calm.&nbsp;

WION: Tell us the history of the church?

Fr Jude Fernando: The church goes back to the Dutch period. This church was built by a priest from India father Antonino. He came from Cochin. It's a place of peace and harmony. It's a house of prayer. It has sentimental value and close to the heart of the people here. Our message is, please forgive and pray for one another. Our God is not the God of Revenge and he is God of Peace. I appeal to everyone to be calm. 
&nbsp;

St Anthony’s church, Kochchikade, Sri Lanka is one of the targets of terrorist attack in Sri Lanka. Built in 1828 the church has historical significance. WION's Sidhant Sibal spoke to the head priest of the church Jude Fernando, who not only called for forgiveness but also spoke against seeking revenge.

St Anthony’s church, Kochchikade, Sri Lanka is one of the targets of terrorist attack in Sri Lanka. Built in 1828 the church has historical significance. WION's Sidhant Sibal spoke to the head priest of the church Jude Fernando, who not only called for forgiveness but also spoke against seeking revenge. Here are the excerpts from the interview: WION: What will you say to people who committed the crime? Fr Jude Fernando: We love peace. We forgive. Our God is the God of Peace and he is not the God of Revenge. We love each other, we forgive. I can't understand why this happened. We will build the church, but it can't bring back the lives of people who were killed. WION: Church will be back again? Fr Jude Fernando: We will do our best. Right now investigations are going on. Not planned anything, once the investigation is over we will do something. Certainly, we will build back the church. WION: What happened on Sunday? Fr Jude Fernando: It was Easter mass at 8am. I was in my office and at 8.45am the bast took place. I can’t even imagine the sound is like. With the help of rescuers and community, we sent all those who sustained injuries to the hospital as soon as possible. And now, investigations are on. Massive damage to the church. The whole roof is gone. It's unimaginable and unthinkable what really happened. My humble request is to maintain calm. WION: Tell us the history of the church? Fr Jude Fernando: The church goes back to the Dutch period. This church was built by a priest from India father Antonino. He came from Cochin. It's a place of peace and harmony. It's a house of prayer. It has sentimental value and close to the heart of the people here. Our message is, please forgive and pray for one another. Our God is not the God of Revenge and he is God of Peace. I appeal to everyone to be calm.

'We forgive perpetrators of church attack,' says head priest of Sri Lanka's St Anthony's church to WION  

Survivors of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka that killed 321 people recounted the horrors of the blasts and buried their dead relatives, as the first images of a suspected bomber were released by authorities on Tuesday (April 23).

Survivors recount horrors of blast and bury dead relatives

A Pakistani analyst says the "spectacular nature and coordination" of the Sri Lankan suicide blasts that killed at least 310 people likely points to a connection between the attackers and "more sophisticated groups."

Sri Lanka bombings: It would've taken months and months to plan these attacks

Watch: Lawrence Sellin is a retired U.S. Army and has spoken to WION on Sri Lanka bombings. Watch the full video to know more.

Lawrence Sellin, Retired U.S. Army colonel speaks to WION on Sri Lanka blasts

Easter Sunday (April 21) bomb blasts at three churches and four hotels in Sri Lanka killed more than 200 people and wounded at least 450, police officials said, the first major attack on the Indian Ocean island since the end of a civil war 10 years ago.

Sri Lanka bombings death toll passes 200, seven arrested

Seven people were arrested and three police officers were killed during a raid on a house in Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Sunday. Meanwhile, the death toll from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/eighth-blast-hits-sri-lankan-capital-city-colombo-death-toll-crosses-160-212267">multiple bombings at Sri Lankan churches and hotels</a> rose past 200, police and local media said. As many as 450 people have been wounded.&nbsp;

"Altogether we have information of 207 dead from all hospitals. According to the information as of now, we have 450 injured people admitted to hospitals," Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told reporters in Colombo.

Further details of the raid on the house in the Sri Lankan capital were not immediately available, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Sunday afternoon was rocked by another blast. The eighth explosion, in a series of blasts that had rattled the country on Sunday, occurred in the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital city. Three people were reported dead in the latest blast. Police said there were no further details on what was targeted, adding that the blast was a suicide bombing, news agency AFP reported.

The blasts

Easter Day bomb blasts were reported at three Sri Lankan churches and three luxury hotels earlier today. &nbsp;

The three hotels that were hit were the Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo and the Cinnamon Grand Colombo in the capital city, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

St Anthony's Shrine, a Catholic Church in Kochcikade, Colombo, was one of the churches where a blast was reported on Sunday along with an explosion at St Sebastian's gothic-style Catholic church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo and an explosion that hit an evangelical church in Batticaloa in Eastern Province.

Later in the day, the Sri Lankan police reported the seventh explosion, the fourth at a hotel near the national zoo, which is in an area near the capital Colombo, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The latest and the eighth in the series of Easter Day explosions occurred in the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital city Colombo.&nbsp;

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called for an emergency parliamentary session.&nbsp;

Nation-wide curfew, social media blocked

The Sri Lankan government imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday that the police said would go into effect immediately and would last "until further notice".

Sri Lanka's defence ministry initially said the curfew would be imposed overnight, but the police subsequently said it would go into effect straight away.

Sri Lanka's government said Sunday it would impose a "temporary" social media ban.

"The government has decided to block all social media platforms in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread. This is only a temporary measure" Udaya R Seneviratne, secretary to the president said in a statement.

No place for such barbarism

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/these-blasts-are-grim-reminder-of-most-serious-challenge-to-humanity-pm-modi-to-sri-lankan-president-pm-212293">Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday</a>, in a telephonic conversation with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, expressed his condolences and described the multiple bombings as "cold-blooded and pre-planned barbaric acts".&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that these attacks were "another grim reminder of the most serious challenge posed to the entire humanity by terrorism in our region and the entire world".

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Strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured.
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"Strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured," PM Modi tweeted out.&nbsp;

Seven people were arrested and three police officers were killed during a raid on a house in Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Sunday. Meanwhile, the death toll from the multiple bombings at Sri Lankan churches and hotels rose past 200, police and local media said.

Seven people were arrested and three police officers were killed during a raid on a house in Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Sunday. Meanwhile, the death toll from the multiple bombings at Sri Lankan churches and hotels rose past 200, police and local media said. As many as 450 people have been wounded. "Altogether we have information of 207 dead from all hospitals. According to the information as of now, we have 450 injured people admitted to hospitals," Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told reporters in Colombo. Further details of the raid on the house in the Sri Lankan capital were not immediately available, news agency Reuters reported. Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Sunday afternoon was rocked by another blast. The eighth explosion, in a series of blasts that had rattled the country on Sunday, occurred in the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital city. Three people were reported dead in the latest blast. Police said there were no further details on what was targeted, adding that the blast was a suicide bombing, news agency AFP reported. The blasts Easter Day bomb blasts were reported at three Sri Lankan churches and three luxury hotels earlier today. The three hotels that were hit were the Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo and the Cinnamon Grand Colombo in the capital city, news agency Reuters reported. St Anthony's Shrine, a Catholic Church in Kochcikade, Colombo, was one of the churches where a blast was reported on Sunday along with an explosion at St Sebastian's gothic-style Catholic church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo and an explosion that hit an evangelical church in Batticaloa in Eastern Province. Later in the day, the Sri Lankan police reported the seventh explosion, the fourth at a hotel near the national zoo, which is in an area near the capital Colombo, Reuters reported. The latest and the eighth in the series of Easter Day explosions occurred in the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital city Colombo. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called for an emergency parliamentary session. Nation-wide curfew, social media blocked The Sri Lankan government imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday that the police said would go into effect immediately and would last "until further notice". Sri Lanka's defence ministry initially said the curfew would be imposed overnight, but the police subsequently said it would go into effect straight away. Sri Lanka's government said Sunday it would impose a "temporary" social media ban. "The government has decided to block all social media platforms in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread. This is only a temporary measure" Udaya R Seneviratne, secretary to the president said in a statement. No place for such barbarism Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, in a telephonic conversation with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, expressed his condolences and described the multiple bombings as "cold-blooded and pre-planned barbaric acts". Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that these attacks were "another grim reminder of the most serious challenge posed to the entire humanity by terrorism in our region and the entire world". Strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 21, 2019 × "Strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured," PM Modi tweeted out.

Sri Lanka multiple blasts: Seven arrested, death toll passes 200

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