- Tuesday declared as national day of mourning
- Intelligence shared 14 days before attacks
- Attacks linked to National Thowheeth Jama’ath
- 24 arrested, curfew imposed
- Over 500 injured
- Attack is worst in history
- 87bomb detonators found in Colombo
- India activates coastal guards
Admin l Monday, April 22, 2019
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide curfew following attacks on Easter Sunday that targetted three churches and three international hotels. So far 290 people have been confirmed dead with over 500 people injured.
The president has also declared Tuesday as a national day of mourning, just as 24 people linked with the National Thowheeth Jama’ath, a hardline Muslim local organisation have been arrested.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Sri Lanka Health Minister, Rajitha Senaratne blamed the attacks on failure of President Maithripala Sirisena’s government to act on intelligence shared 14 days before the multiple blasts that targeted churches and luxury hotels across the nation.
“Unfortunately, despite all these revelations by the intelligence units we could not avert these attacks,” Senaratne, who is also the cabinet spokesman, said at a press conference.
Meanwhile the Sri Lanka government has declared Tuesday, April 23 as a day of national mourning following what has been described as the worst attack on the nation since the end of the civil war.
He called for probe into failure of government to act despite intelligence. “We must also look into why adequate precautions were not taken,” he said on Sunday.
So far 87 bomb detonators have been found by police in Colombo. Among those killed are 7 Indians. So far, India TV has reported that Indian government has activated coast guards to prevent the terrorists from escaping.
