Sri Lanka: Suicide bombers seen in hotel moments before attack top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. More than 350 people died and around 500 injured following the bombings on Sunday which targeted churches and hotels across Sri Lanka. The coordinated series of explosions attacked churches holding Easter services. The blasts also targeted four hotels, including the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo. What happened in Sri Lanka was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch Ruwan Wijewardene Most victims were Sri Lankan, but dozens of foreigners were also killed, including eight Britons. Disturbing video footage shows the suicide bombers wearing backpacks as they took a lift to the floor of the Shangri-La hotel restaurant where dozens of people were eating their breakfast on Easter Sunday. One of the bombers turns to the other and appears to be laughing as they take the lift to the third floor. In a second clip, CCTV footage showed one of the two men walk through the restaurant moments before the bomb was detonated. Sri Lanka blast caught on CCTV footage In the last video clip, people are seen sitting eating breakfast at the Shangri-La hotel before the bomb explodes and a cloud of smoke blocks the camera. Two brothers, sons of a wealthy Colombo spice trader, are suspected of carrying out two of the hotel suicide blasts on Sunday at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels, police sources told AFP. The Kingsbury hotel was also targeted by a third suicide bomber. But an investigation officer said another attack on a fourth hotel had failed and guided police to the Islamist group blamed for the Easter Sunday massacre. Sri Lanka's defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said the attacks were "carried out in retaliation" for the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch in March. Sri Lanka: Suicide bomber pats child on head<doc-sep>Christians in Sri Lanka have never seen such a large-scale attack on them as the one that hit three churches and three hotels on Easter Sunday (April 21), killing at least 290 people, they said. "I don't have words to express my pain," a teary-eyed Eranda Weththasinghe told Morning Star News from Negombo, a predominantly Christian area north of Colombo where 104 worshippers died in a suicide bomb blast at St. Sebastian's Church. "Tomorrow is going to be the mass funeral service, we only want prayers. We lost so many people." Weththasinghe said he lost several friends in the explosion that he witnessed, which the Sri Lankan government blamed on a local Islamic extremist group, the National Thowheed Jamaath. Officials said the small, obscure group could not have carried out the coordinated attacks without international accomplices. "The smell of flesh is all around me," Weththasinghe said. "We are a peace-loving community in this small city, we had never hurt anyone, but we don't know from where this amount of hate is coming. This city has become a grave with blood and bodies lying around." Weththasinghe, who helped with rescue efforts after the blast, said some of his friends are still missing. "Since the past three years, we don't know why, but we see an extremist's mindset developing among the Muslims," he told Morning Star News. "I know many good Muslims, but there are also a lot who hate us, and they have never been so before. It is in these three years that we see a difference." While Christians in Sri Lanka have suffered at the hands of radical Buddhists and, increasingly, hard-line Hindus, attacks by Muslim extremists have been rare. Muslims account for 9.7 percent of Sri Lanka's population of about 22 million, which is 70 Buddhist, 12.6 percent Hindu and 7.6 percent Christian, according to the country's 2012 census. Shyami Sirivardene, also a resident of Negombo, told Morning Star News that Negombo and parts of Colombo where the blasts took place are predominantly Christian areas. "Negombo is fondly called the 'little Rome,' with shrines and ancient churches," Sirivardene said. "We can't say who is behind the attacks, but the locals suspect it to be the plot of Islamic extremists. The attacks have been planned to affect the Christian community; since the churches in these areas date back to 19th century, people flock in huge numbers to attend the Mass on Easter and Christmas." Residents in neighboring areas close to the church buildings join the previous Saturday Easter vigil service, and Christians come from distant areas to attend the Easter morning service, she said. "They have been targeted," she said. "Colombo to Negombo and surrounding towns and suburbs is hardly a half an hour drive using the highway, and most Christians prefer to travel by bus or drive on their own using another route, which takes about an hour or more depending on traffic. People are very furious and scared. The busy toll road from Colombo to Negombo connecting the airport somewhere in the midst is empty today." A government spokesman told media that police found 87 bomb detonators at the main bus station in Colombo, the capital. Sirivardene added that the luxury restaurants targeted at the three bombed hotels serve special Easter buffets that attract foreigners, including those from the United States and Europe. Besides St. Sebastian's in Negombo, also attacked by suicide bombers were St. Anthony's Shrine (a large Catholic church in the Kochchikade area of Colombo), and Zion Church in Batticaloa, in the eastern part of the country. Suicide bombers also detonated explosives in Colombo at the Shangri-La Hotel, the ground-floor Taprobane restaurant at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel and at the Kingsbury Hotel. The suicide bomber blasts also reportedly wounded at least 500 people. Biraj Patnaik, South Asia director for human rights group Amnesty International, told The Washington Post that the scale of the attacks were "shocking and unprecedented." They were the worst in Colombo since 1996, when rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam detonated explosives at Sri Lanka's central bank that killed nearly 100 people. Sri Lankan police attempted to defuse another explosive substance found in a vehicle parked near St. Anthony's Shrine, which was exploded without causing damage. Suspicious objects such as bags and boxes discovered in Kotahena and Pettah caused two more explosions. "We have been asked to stay indoors, and tomorrow [April 23] would be the national mourning day," said Sirivardene of Negombo. "There would be a mass funeral service for all the bodies collected so far." Warning Ignored Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said a foreign network was likely involved with the local Islamist group that carried out the attacks. The group's name, National Thowheed Jamaath, roughly translates as the National Monotheism Organization. He reportedly called on Police Inspector General Pujith Jayasundara to resign, as security agencies had received a report warning of attacks by the group against churches and hotels 10 days before. A police memo reportedly issued in Sinhalese 10 days before the attack, entitled, "INFORMATION OF AN ALLEGED PLAN ATTACK" and stamped on April 11, said foreign intelligence officials suspected imminent attacks by the National Thowheeth Jamaath against non-Muslims. It instructed all police to be extra vigilant and cautious in monitoring locations under their jurisdiction. It is signed by Deputy Inspector General Priyalal Dissanayake. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe told media he did not know about the letter, saying, "Neither I nor any ministers were kept informed." President Maithripala Sirisena controls Sri Lanka's security agencies, but since he tried to oust Wickremesinghe in an Oct. 26 coup, the prime minister has not been invited to security council meetings, a parliamentarian told The Washington Post. Police have reportedly arrested 21 people in connection with the bombings. Three police officers were reportedly killed in a raid on a house where suspects were hiding. In his Easter address, Pope Francis called the bombings "horrendous." In his Easter Monday sermon today, he appealed for help for the people of Sri Lanka. "I hope that everyone condemns these terrorist acts, inhuman acts, never justifiable," he said.<doc-sep>Colombo (News1st) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement on the foreign nationals who were affected by Sunday’s (April 21) deadly bomb attacks. According to the Ministry, the details breakdown of victims is from the casualties at the National Hospital in Colombo. The victims are as follows. 3 from India 1 from Portugal 2 from Turkey 3 from UK 2 holding US and UK nationalities 9 foreigners reported missing 25 unidentified bodies believed to be foreigners 19 injured (at the National hospital as at 6pm)<doc-sep>Colombo (News1st) – An improvised explosive device (IED) which was discovered in close proximity to the Bandaranaike International Airport has been successfully diffused by the Sri Lanka Air Force. Air Force spokesperson, Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne noted that the IED was located when a suspicious package found along the Aandiambalama road. He added that the IED is believed to be locally manufactured. Security has been tightened in and around the BIA.<doc-sep>
Wednesday As one funeral procession followed another Tuesday in Sri Lanka government officials raised the death toll from Sunday’s bombings to 359. A whole new cemetery had to be hastily dug to bury more than a hundred victims. This, as ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks showing pictures purported to be of the seven suicide bombers. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Tuesday that investigators were making good progress in identifying the culprits, and he added that some of-of the bombers had travelled abroad and returned home before carrying out the attacks. At least 40 suspects had been taken into custody for questioning as of Tuesday, all of them Sri Lankan nationals. Tuesday Sri Lanka’s defence minister says it appears the bombings Sunday that left 321 people dead were a retaliation against the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand; and that a local militant group, with help from an international network, was likely responsible. The leader of the local group, a known extremist, who has been preaching hateful messages online in recent years. Forty people have been arrested for interrogation suggesting the government knew where key members of the group could be found. Sri Lankan authorities are under attack for not acting aggressively ahead of the bombings, having received warnings of a possible threat as many as ten days before it happened. Monday Government officials in Sri Lanka say they were warned two weeks ago of a terrorist plot to target churches and hotels, and given the names of suspects five days later. The president’s chief of staff said, “We never expected it to be so big, we never thought it would happen so soon.” No Canadians killed in the attacks The death toll from the suicide bombings has risen to 290 with another 500 wounded. Churches and hotels were the targets. Three police officers were killed in an explosion during a Sunday afternoon raid on a house in the capital Colombo. Sri Lanka’s Health Minister has blamed a domestic militant group for the attacks. Twenty-four people have been arrested, all of them Sri Lankan. Meantime, a van parked near a Sri Lankan church that was bombed has exploded. No injuries have been reported. A witness has told Reuters the blast came as authorities tried to defuse a bomb. Sunday Deadly explosions in Sri Lanka. Eight blasts hit locations including churches and hotels across Sri Lanka, leaving at least 207 people dead and 450 injured. Police say they have arrested three people so far. Several others were taken in but not questioned. Hospital sources said British, Dutch and American citizens were among the dead, with Britons and Japanese also injured. A Portuguese man also died, the country’s LUSA news agency reported. I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation. — Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) April 21, 2019 More attacks on places of worship where people are most vulnerable, this time in Sri Lanka. The victims were simply and peacefully attending #EasterSunday services like many of us are doing this morning. #Barrie #Innisfil #cdnpoli #onpoli https://t.co/Kpgq7QQX3R — John Brassard (@JohnBrassardCPC) April 21, 2019 Absolutely horrific news from Sri Lanka. Canada strongly condemns the heinous attacks on Christians at churches and hotels. Our hearts & thoughts are with the families & loved ones of those killed and all those injured. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 21, 2019 1/2 Canada extends its condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in today’s attacks on churches and hotels in #SriLanka and we wish a swift recovery to those injured. To target people at prayer on Easter is despicable. We condemn these cowardly acts. — Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) April 21, 2019 2/2 Affected Canadians in need of assistance are advised to contact Global Affairs Canada by email at sos@international.gc.ca or call +94 (11) 532-6232. — Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) April 21, 2019