All but one of the men can be seen with their faces covered. Some are holding knives. The man with his face uncovered has been named as Hashim, who went on to blow himself up at a hotel in Colombo.<doc-sep>Over 300 people were killed and around 500 others were injured in eight coordinated attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. The death toll continues to rise, with at least 321 people dead as of Tuesday morning, according to the state minister of defense. Among the deceased were 39 tourists, including American citizens. The Sri Lankan government has identified National Thowheeth Jama’ath, a small Islamist terrorist organization, as the culprits behind the assault. ISIS, the terrorist group President Donald Trump says was defeated in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack. It’s worth being skeptical of this claim, though, as ISIS tends to say it had a hand in devastating terrorist attacks without evidence. Sri Lanka’s state minister of defense also said that the attack was carried out in retaliation for the March attack on Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand. However, the official provided no further detail or evidence. Authorities had intelligence the terrorists planned to target churches with suicide attacks, according to reports, though it appears that nothing was done about it. Many suspect the organization had outside help, which enabled them to carry off coordinated bombings on opposite sides of the country. At least 24 people are in custody in relation to the attacks. As a way to halt misinformation, the Sri Lankan government temporarily cut off use to Facebook and WhatsApp. It’s possible the devastation could’ve been worse — a six-foot pipe bomb was reportedly found near the airport hours after the initial wave of attacks. Funeral for 13 year old girl - daughter of Muslim father & Catholic mother just held in Negombo. #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/crHEBqbS4z — Amarnath Amarasingam (@AmarAmarasingam) April 22, 2019 Sri Lanka’s prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, released a statement on Sunday condemning the “cowardly attacks on our people” and asked “all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong.” US President Donald Trump also joined other international leaders in offering his sympathy to Sri Lanka, saying: “The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!” Christians are a minority in Sri Lanka, and the majority of Christians in the country are Roman Catholic. Easter is one of Christianity’s holiest days, and many Sri Lankan Christians were worshipping at church when the attacks took place. The coordinated bombings mark some of the worst violence the country has seen since the end of its civil war a decade ago. What we know Around 8:45 am local time on Sunday, a series of blasts rang out at three churches where Easter Mass was taking place, the New York Times says. One church that was attacked, St. Anthony’s Shrine, is in Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo. A church 20 miles to the north, St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, was attacked as well. The third location was Zion Church, in the eastern city of Batticaloa. Bombings occurred in at least five other locations, including three Colombo hotels: the Cinnamon Grand, the Shangri-La Hotel, and the Kingsbury Hotel. According to CNN, two other locations hit by bombs were: Dehiwala Zoo in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and a house in Dematagoda, which are both Colombo suburbs. One witness who was at the Shangri-La said in a Facebook post: “The bomb blasted inside Table One restaurant on the 3rd floor, the main restaurant of the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, where people were apparently having their Easter breakfast. Felt the blast all the way up to the 17th floor where we were sleeping. Few minutes later, we were asked to evacuate the hotel. While running down the stairs, saw a lot of blood on the floor but we were still clueless as to what really happened.” Officials believe the attacks were conducted by people wearing suicide bombs. Authorities believe at least 321 people were killed and at least 500 others were wounded. Nearly 40 foreigners have been killed, according to Sri Lanka’s tourism minister. This number includes at least three British citizens, two people with dual US/UK citizenship, two Turkish citizens, three Chinese citizens, three Indian citizens, one Portuguese citizen, and one Dutch national. All the foreigners who were killed died in the hotel attacks. Officials from countries whose residents were killed in the attacks say they have been in touch with wounded residents as well as with the families of victims. James Dauris, high commissioner of the UK to Sri Lanka and Maldives, said he has “been speaking this afternoon with Brits in hospital,” and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Stef Blok tweeted: “Our thoughts are with the victims, including one Dutch national at this moment.” I've been speaking this afternoon with Brits in hospital who have been affected by today's senseless attacks. My team's and my thoughts go out to all those people who are suffering as a result of the deplorable violence #SriLanka has witnessed this Easter Sunday. — James Dauris (@JamesDauris) April 21, 2019 Horrified by the terrible attacks on this Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Our thoughts are with the victims, including one Dutch national at this moment. The Netherlands has passed its heartfelt condolences to the Sri Lankan people. We stand with you. — Stef Blok (@ministerBlok) April 21, 2019 Sri Lanka’s prime minister was abroad when the attacks happened. Wickremesinghe tweeted a statement condemning the attacks and requesting unity: 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 The government state news portal, news.lk, said officials have imposed a temporary ban on social media across the country that includes messaging services like WhatsApp. The decision was made “as false news reports were spreading through social media,” according to the president’s office. Three police officers were killed in a raid while searching a home in connection with the bombing, AFP reports. Sri Lankan Special Task Force personnel are pictured outside a house during a raid, after a suicide blast had killed police searching the property in the Orugodawatta area of the capital Colombo, following a series of blasts in churches and hotelshttps://t.co/ZqdVahQgct pic.twitter.com/t4qHvnteia — AFP news agency (@AFP) April 21, 2019 A number of leaders have condemned the killings. Pope Francis, at Easter Sunday Mass, referred to the attacks as acts of cruel violence. “I entrust to the Lord all those who have tragically perished,” he said, “And I pray for the injured and all those who suffer as a result of this tragic event.” Other world leaders — including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Trump — have expressed their outrage over the bombings and sent their condolences to the Sri Lankan people. Former US President Barack Obama called the bombings “an attack on humanity.” The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 21, 2019 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “several US citizens were among those killed,” and added, “these vile attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States remains resolved in our fight to defeat terrorism.” Twenty-four people have been arrested in connection with the bombings. What we don’t know<doc-sep>“I want to express my loving closeness to the Christian community, targeted while they were gathered in prayer, and all the victims of such cruel violence,” Francis said. “I entrust to the Lord all those who were tragically killed and pray for the injured and all those who are suffering as a result of this dramatic event.”<doc-sep>
Sri Lankan authorities have arrested seven people over a series of devastating attacks that left at least 207 dead and 450 injured on Easter Sunday. Near-simultaneous blasts hit three churches and three luxury hotels in the capital Colombo — the worst violence in the South Asian country since its civil war ended a decade ago. A suicide bomber then struck when police raided a house in a northern suburb of the capital, killing at least three officers, an official speaking on the condition of anonymity told reporters. Most of the earlier attacks — including another at a guesthouse — were also thought to be suicide bombings, the government said. Sri Lanka’s defense minister announced that seven suspects had been arrested. However, police hesitated over a possible motive, with no one yet claiming responsibility for the carnage. “We cannot say who is behind the attacks and what their intentions were until the investigation is complete,” police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara said. Worshippers and hotel guests were among the dead — with citizens of China, Portugal and the Netherlands also thought to be killed. Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok confirmed at least one Dutch national was among the dead. “The Netherlands has passed its heartfelt condolences to the Sri Lankan people. We stand with you,” he tweeted. President Trump also offered support. “The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!” he tweeted Sunday morning. Sri Lanka’s government temporarily blocked social media including Facebook and Instagram to stem ” false news reports” being spread. The archbishop of Colombo also called for calm and urged Sri Lankans not to “take the law into their own hands.” St. Anthony’s Shrine and the three hotels where the blasts took place are in Colombo, and are frequented by foreign tourists. Local TV showed damage at the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels. The Shangri-La’s second-floor restaurant was gutted in the blast, with the ceiling and windows blown out. Loose wires hung and tables were overturned in the blackened space. A police magistrate was at the hotel to inspect the bodies recovered from the restaurant. From outside the police cordon, three bodies could be seen covered in white sheets. Alex Agieleson, who was near the shrine, said buildings shook with the blast, and that a number of injured people were carried away in ambulances. Other blasts were reported at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, a majority Catholic town north of Colombo, and at Zion Church in the eastern town of Batticaloa. The explosion ripped off the roof and knocked out doors and windows at St. Sebastian’s, where people carried the wounded away from blood-stained pews, TV footage showed. The magnitude of the bloodshed recalled Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war, when separatist Tamil Tigers and other rebel groups targeted the Central Bank, a shopping mall, a Buddhist temple and popular tourist hotels. “After so many years we’ve started again,” said Gamini Francis, a longtime hotel worker. “It’s tragic. Crazy people killing innocent people.” With Post wires