2 more blasts have jolted Colombo, after 6 blasts in the early Sunday morning, i.e., April 21, 2019, shocked the island country of Sri Lanka, with more than 200 people killed and 450 injured.
The recent ones happened at a hotel near the National Zoo in the capital and at a suburb of Orugodawatta, North of Colombo.
The Government has taken 7 suspects into custody and interrogations are on. It has imposed a curfew from 18:00 to 06:00 local time.
The earlier explosions occurred at Churches and Hotels in Colombo. 3 blasts hit the Kochchikade, Negombo and Batticaloa Church while the other 3 exploded at Hotel Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury Hotels.
So far, no terrorist group has claimed the responsibility of the attack. There have been fears that Islamic State group fighters returning from the Middle East could pose a threat in the country. Of all the people killed, 30 were of foreign nationals.
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka – Ranil Wickremesinghe has held an emergency meeting with the National Security Council and has called for an emergency convening of the Parliament on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, Ranil Wickremesinghe said, “I condemn these attacks which targeted religious places and some hotels. We all should join hands to protect law and order. I have already instructed the Secretary of Defence, Tri Forces Commanders and the Inspector General of Police to take stringent action to ensure law and order in the country.”
St. Sebastian’s church in Negombo was completely severely damaged with a shattered ceiling and blood on the pews. More than 67 people died there.
The Defence Minister of Sri Lanka – Ruwan Wijewardane said, “We will take all necessary action against any extremist group that is operating in our country.”
Early Intelligence Warning
The Sri Lankan Police Chief had issued an intelligence alert to top officers 10 days ago that suicide bombers of National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NJT) are planning to attack the churches in Colombo.
The NTJ is a radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka that was linked in 2018 to the vandalization of Buddhist statues.
Government blocks Social Media
The Sri Lankan Government has temporarily blocked social media sites including Facebook and Instagram to restrict any false news from getting viral.
World Leaders condemn the attack
The Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi tweeted, “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.”
The President of United States (U.S.) – Donald Trump tweeted, “138 people have been killed in Sri Lanka, with more that 600 badly injured, in a terrorist attack on churches and hotels. The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!”
The Prime Minister of United Kingdom (U.K.) – Theresa May said, “The acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling, and my deepest sympathies go out to all of those affected at this tragic time. We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practise their faith in fear.”
The President of France – Emmanuel Macron wrote on twitter, “We are deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. We firmly condemn these odious acts. We stand by the people of Sri Lanka and our thoughts go out to the loved ones of the victims on this Easter Sunday.”
The Prime Minister of Pakistan – Imran Khan said, “Strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday resulting in precious lives lost & hundreds injured. My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.”
Sri Lanka’s history and religion
Since the end of civil war in 2009, there has been some violence, with members of the majority Buddhist Sinhala community attacking mosques and Muslim-owned properties. The civil war ended with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, who had fought for 26 years for an independent homeland for the minority ethnic Tamils.
The Buddhism is Sri Lanka make upto 70.2% of the population and is given first place in the country’s laws and is singled out in the constitution. The Hindus and Muslims make up 12.6% and 9.7% of the population respectively. The Christians account to 1.5 million people in Sri Lanka.
