Apr 22 (AJ) local Muslim group in Sri Lanka has been linked to the string of bombings that killed nearly 300 people and wounded 500 others in coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday that have shocked the country. Minister Rajitha Senaratne on Monday blamed President Maithripala Sirisena's govt for failing to act on intelligence on the group shared 14 days before the multiple blasts, which targeted churches and luxury hotels more..

Apr 23 (CT) On a day after tragedy of unprecedented proportions has hit one’s people, plunging one’s country into a state of tremendous vulnerability and chaos, it is not easy to pen a word. However, it is crucial to highlight a few key factors that surround the Easter Sunday terror attacks and their aftermath. In the admission of the PM himself, there have been prior Intelligence warnings about a terror incident in the brewing. No significant action was taken. more..

Apr 23 (CT) The series of bombings that took place in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in the morning hours as the Christians prepared to celebrate this day came as a terrible shock. When the first reports came in of churches being attacked and then the hotels it came seemed like a bad dream. Although the country had experienced some significant anti-Muslim rioting in 2014 and 2018, the previous ten years since the end of the war had been free of terror attacks. more..

Apr 23 (CT) It was a sad and horrific day for all humans not only Sri Lankans nor Christians. Tentacles of religious fundamentalism and extremism have consumed many innocent lives on the day they were celebrating the resurrection of Christ. But as the reports indicate there had been a pre warning; not general but specific to violent acts targeting the Christians. Mr. President: You have been pre occupied in your attempt to seek more..

Apr 23 (CNN) When the luxury Shangri-La hotel opened in Colombo in late 2017, it pointed to the relative calm that had emerged in the aftermath of SL's decadeslong civil war. Throughout the 1980s and '90s, the capital had been a regular target for separatist Tamil rebels, with suicide bomb attacks striking at the heart of the city. In the years following the war's end in 2009, the city had remained largely free of violence. All that changed on Sunday, when a series of bombs targeting churches and more..

Apr 23 (CT) The reactions are pouring in over the deadly bomb blasts at numerous churches and hotels near the capital of Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday (21). Artists like Mariah Carey, Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds, M.I.A., and more are sharing their thoughts and prayers following the horrific terrorist attack that killed at least 207 people and injured 450 others. Dan Reynolds: heartbroken for the people of Sri Lanka. there are no words that could possibly bring comfort or understanding more..

Apr 23 (Roar) A series of devastating bomb explosions have occurred on Easter Sunday morning (21) targeting multiple churches around the country and three luxury hotel complexes in Colombo. The following Monday (22) has seen developments both in the political arena as well as the criminal investigation into the attack. Here is a timeline of the events so far. Monday, Apr 22: 6 am: Police Spokesperson announces more..

Apr 23 (FT) Yesterday was Easter Sunday; 227 persons [at the time of writing] have been killed, and many times more injured. The primary targets were churches and international hotels. It seems clear that the extremist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) has masterminded the attacks. Of some 35 persons arrested so far, all are Muslims save a Tamil driver. Jaffna-based reporters working on the story say some have been trained in the UK. Five are Pakistanis. more..

Apr 23 (FT) This is the most important day of the year for Christians – the Peaceful Easter Sunday or Easter Day was shattered by deadly explosions in several Christian churches throughout the country; and we excoriate such hatred in our beloved country. We the members of all communities in Sri Lanka, denounce and condemn this carnage. We deplore and censure these disgraceful murderous, cruelly rapacious, savage scum that are terrorising this country. more..

Apr 23 (DN) Sri Lanka has lost their medal hopes in the men’s 100m and women’s 800m events on the second day of the Asian Athletics Championship in Doha Qatar yesterday. The 100m national record holder (10.22s) Himasha Eshan was edged out from the semi-final round with a performance of 10.51s. In the 800m women’s finals, Gayanthika Abeyratne clocked 2m:05.8s to be placed fourth, while her team mate Nimali Liyanarachchi finished 7th more..

Apr 23 (Island) The tragedy of Good Friday returned on Easter Sunday when death suddenly struck scores of Christians celebrating the Festival of Life, yesterday. Our condolences and continuing compassion must be extended to those whose loved ones were snatched away or injured, in places considered safe. Our sorrow and compassion should also specially encircle the families of all those visitors to our country who were killed and injured. We are deeply sorry at your loss in our land more..

Apr 23 (Island) Ukraine has elected a professional comedian, of all people, as its President. Guatemala is the first country to have had a vaudevillian as the Head of State, a columnist tells us in his article, on this page, today. Several other countries have done likewise if the freakish conduct of their leaders is anything to go by. Sri Lanka has been an exception, though. It does not elect jokers to govern it; instead, it handpicks idiots and places them at the levers of power. more..

Apr 23 (DM) Multiple explosions on Easter Sunday (21) left an island nation devastated and the Govt has declared today a national day of mourning. Explosions took place at three churches, namely St. Sebastian’s in Katuwapitiya, St Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, Colombo and Zion Church in Batticaloa, in the Eastern Province; and three hotels namely Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand. There were other explosions too. more..

Apr 23 (BDN) Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Selim’s grandson Zayan Chowdhary, who was reported missing after bombings in Sri Lanka, has died. The boy, eight and a half years old, was having breakfast with his father Moshiul Chowdhary Prince at a restaurant on the ground floor of a hotel in Colombo that came under attack along with several other hotels and churches during Easter Sunday celebrations. Prince was also injured and hospitalised, according to PM Sheikh Hasina, more..

Apr 23 (Island) The following messages/statements were issued in connection with the Barbaric Bomb Attacks on Easter Sunday. The President and the members of the Moors’ Islamic Cultural Home, the premier Muslim Institution, join others in condemning the senseless acts of terrorism on worshippers and innocent civilians in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa. The Moors Islamic Cultural Home is deeply saddened on the brutal attacks on Catholics and Christians while they were involved in more..

Apr 23 (FT) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa faulted the Govt for what he termed as negligent handling of vital intelligence by the Govt, which he insisted could have saved lives if the public had been made aware of the threats. Rajapaksa, speaking at a press briefing, said the Govt could have provided information to the public to take necessary action to protect themselves and tightened security without causing panic. more..

Apr 23 (Island) Sprinter Himasha Eshan conveyed Sri Lanka contingent’s condolences to the families devastated by Easter Sunday attacks back home in a post event interview as he attracted foreign media attention for wearing a black band in the men’s 100 metres heats on day one of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar on Sunday. Eshan was not in his best but qualified for the semi-finals with a time of 10.42 seconds in the heats conducted late on Sunday. more..

Apr 23 (AFP) US President Donald Trump called Sri Lanka's PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday to express condolences over the killing of nearly 300 people in suicide bomb blasts at churches and hotels. The attacks on Easter Sunday, which Sri Lankan authorities believe were carried out by a local Islamist group, were "one of the deadliest terrorist events since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said. more..

Apr 23 (AJ) In a courtyard outside the mortuary, a doctor dressed in scrubs, white boots and a hairnet sat at a table in front of a laptop. Around him, family members stared at the screen as he scrolled through a gory tableau of blood-stained faces, mangled limbs and twisted bodies. The process of identifying the dead from Sri Lanka's worst attacks in decades begins and ends here - the mortuary of Colombo's National Hospital. more..

Apr 23 (AD) All Private Catholic schools in the country will be temporarily closed until Monday (29), according to the General Manager of Catholic Private Schools Rev. Fr. Ivan Perera. He stated that the decision has been taken as a precaution due to the prevailing security situation in the country. He stated that therefore all private Catholic schools in the country, which are currently closed for the term holidays, will reopen for the second term on April 29. Meanwhile the govt had decided to close more..

Apr 23 (CT) National Security Council decided to gazette the clauses for the Prevention of Terrorism Act under Emergency Regulations with effect from midnight yesterday, President’s Media Division stated. This decision has been taken to assign authority to the Police and the Tri-Forces to ensure the safety of the public and the country. Meanwhile, the Govt declared today as a national day of mourning. President also intends to assemble all foreign Ambassadors & High Commissioners more..

Apr 23 (NYT) The confidential security memo laid it all out: names, addresses, phone numbers, even the times in the middle of the night that one suspect would visit his wife. In the days leading up to the devastating suicide bombings that killed nearly 300 people in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the country’s security agencies had been closely watching a secretive cell of the National Thowheeth Jama’ath, a little-known radical more..

Apr 23 (FT) Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland yesterday expressed her revulsion at the appalling news of the horrendous and mindless coordinated set of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. Secretary-General Scotland said: “On behalf of the Commonwealth family of 53 nations, I wish to convey my deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the Govt and the people of Sri Lanka. The quick response from the Govt, Police, military and other essential services should be more..

Apr 23 (DN) Shangri-La Hotel Colombo and Kingsbury Hotel Colombo said that they will be back to business soon despite Easter Sunday terror attacks. The third hotel, Cinnamon Grand which was affected is continuing their operations uninterrupted. Managing Director of Kingsbury Colombo, Lalin Samarawickrama said that cleaning operations are now in progress and as soon as they are over and the police inquiries were completed they will re open the hotel soon. more..

Apr 23 (DM) Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said Defence Ministry never expected an attack of this magnitude except for some isolated incidents in certain places. Asked about the govt being privy to intelligence on imminent terrorist attacks, he maintained that the information received was unclear. Speaking to the media following a visit to St. Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, he said "Intelligence never indicated that more..

Apr 23 (Island) One of the suspects of Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo had written a letter to his mother asking for her forgiveness before killing himself inside a house in Mahawila Gardens Dematagoda on Sunday, a senior official of Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) said. "We found the letter when we searched the house. He had written that he had carried out the attack in the name of his religion." Three policemen from CCD were also killed during the blast in Dematagoda while more..

Apr 23 (CT) An act of any civilized world would be to condemn the Easter Sunday blasts that claimed the lives of over 300 innocent civilians and injured over 450 others, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said. Issuing a press communiqué he said: “All of these barbaric acts of terror have to be condemned unreservedly and no room should be left for such horrific acts to take place in this country again. “I also convey my personal condolences to the families of each of the victims more..

Apr 23 (Island) One of the suicide bombers, who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks, had been released from police custody a few months back due to pressure from a powerful politician, Minister Kabir Hashim revealed, yesterday. He said that following some incidents in the Mawanella area, Intelligence had unearthed cache of explosives at Lacktowatta in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam. more..

Apr 23 (Island) The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in SL yesterday while urging Christians and all citizens to stay calm and act with prudence and restraint, asked the govt to conduct an immediate inquiry and ensure the safety of all citizens. "We are deeply saddened due to the tragic incidents which took place on Easter Sunday. The brutal attack on three Churches and some other places targeting the innocent civilians has taken away more than 200 lives and severely injured several hundreds. more..

Apr 23 (AAP) The two Australians killed in the SL Easter Sunday bombings have been identified as a mother and daughter who had been living in the country for several years. Manik Suriaaratchi and her daughter Alexendria, 10, were two of the 290 people killed in the bomb blasts that ripped through three churches, three luxury hotels and a guesthouse Sunday about 8.45am. The bombings were carried out by seven suicide bombers, a govt investigator said Monday, more..

Apr 23 (Island) Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told Army Commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake that he would have had definitely called off Easter Sunday morning mass countrywide had he been informed of intelligence warning as regards possible attacks. Cardinal Ranjith sought a clarification as to whether the Church had been deliberately deprived of timely information when more..

Apr 23 (N1st) Following is a list of events that took place on April 22, the day following the Easter Sunday attack. The events are mentioned in the order of their respective occurrence. 1. 24 suspects were arrested and handed over to the CID. Another two were later arrested at a rest-house in Dambulla. 2. The death toll rose to over 290, with over 500 injured. 3. Travel Advisory issued to US citizens requesting to exercise increased caution in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 23 (Tass) UN Security Council (UNSC) has condemned a series of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday and called for holding perpetrators accountable. UNSC members issued a joint statement on Monday. "The members of the UNSC condemned in the strongest terms the series of heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks that took place in St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian's in Negambo, Zion Church in Batticaloa, Shangri-La, Cinammon Grand, & Kingsbury more..

Apr 23 (DN) Considering the magnitude of the Easter Sunday terrorist attack, the IGP should have stepped down by now, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday. “If he would not, the Cabinet will request Prez Sirisena to take necessary action as the subject minister and appoint a new IGP.” Minister furthered. He made these observations at a press brief held at Temple Trees to express the govt’s condolences to more..

Apr 23 (DN) Cabinet of Ministers who convened for a special meeting under the auspices of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe granted approval to compensate families of those who died and were injured in a series of bomb explosions across the country on Easter Sunday, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. “Accordingly, the govt has decided to pay Rs.100,000 as funeral expenses and Rs. one million for the families of those who died as compensation. Those who have injured will receive more..

Apr 23 (AD) A three-minute silence will be observed island-wide from 8.30 a.m. today in remembrance of those killed in Sunday’s attacks in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile the general public has been requested to display a white flag outside their houses today in view of the national day of mourning declared in remembrance of the victims from the series of fatal explosions on Easter Sunday. SL is under a state of emergency following bomb attacks at hotels and Christian religious centers in the country, more..

Apr 23 (FT) The Govt and the Opposition yesterday traded accusations over intelligence failures following Easter Sunday’s deadly attacks that left nearly 300 dead. Govt Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne acknowledged security lapses despite warnings from both int'l and local intelligence agencies. However, he insisted that the Govt was doing all it could to enforce the law and increase security in the wake of more..

Apr 23 (DM) It was a calculated massacre. This is terrorism and nothing else that nobody could and should tolerate. It must be rooted out forthwith. Are the Easter Sunday massacres in three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa and three leading tourist hotels in Colombo going to be the end of a ten-year respite the country has been enjoying after the end of the three-decade-old morbid ethnic war? No sane person in the country would prefer to go back to that dark era. more..

Apr 23 (DM) It was minutes after the Rev. Father delivered a speech about the importance of helping people during difficult times that the suicide bomber triggered the bomb at the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Negombo, killing scores and injuring many. Taking a cue from a recent incident in Trinco, where an injured youth was seen on CCTV desperately seeking help from bystanders who ignored him, Rev. Father at the Sebastian’s Church preached to the gathering that people have more..

Apr 23 (DM) Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, Professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam Centre for Int'l Studies in Singapore, says that the serial bombings in Colombo and two other towns in SL on Easter Sunday, appear to be the handiwork of the Islamic State (IS) in collaboration with its Sri Lankan branch. Dr. Gunaratna, who is the foremost SL expert on terrorism and political violence and author of Inside Al-Qaeda: more..