Eight explosions have rocked Catholic churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing 160 people, as worldwide attacks on Christianity continue.
The blasts occurred at around 8:45am local time at St. Anthony’s Church in Colombo and St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo. The Zion Church in Batticaloa was also targeted.
According to the state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, investigators have identified the suicide bombers as “religious extremists“:
“We have taken all the necessary precautions to keep this country safe and the people safe. We believe that all the culprits who have been involved in this unfortunate terrorist incident will be taken into custody as soon as possible. They have been identified, and they will be taken into custody as soon as possible.”
British tourists are feared to be among those killed in the Easter Sunday bombings, according to reports.
Rt.com reports: At least 156 people were killed, AFP reported, citing police. More than 400 were injured in the attacks.
Alleged footage of the aftermath, shared on social media, showed chaos and large-scale destruction inside at least one of the churches.
Sean Adl-Tabatabai