A Sri Lankan court began the trial of 25 men accused of plotting the Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 270 people back in 2019, as lawyers warned of a protracted and complicated legal battle ahead.

Trial begins of 25 accused in Easter Sunday bombings

A dozen rifle-toting soldiers guarded a small community hall as day broke in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa on Sunday morning. Around 9 am local time - roughly the same time a suicide bomber killed 29 of their fellow parishioners at the evangelical Zion Church two weeks ago - worshippers streamed silently into the hall.

'Save us from the Satans': Sri Lanka Christians pray after surviving attacks

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday police are looking for 140 people believed to have links with the Islamic State group over the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels that killed at least 253 people.

Sri Lankan police looking for 140 with Islamic State links: President Sirisena 

All of Sri Lanka's Catholic churches have been ordered to stay closed and suspend services until security improves after deadly Easter bombings, a senior priest told on Thursday.

All Sri Lanka Catholic church services suspended, says senior priest

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