Sri Lanka news: Five British citizens among more than 200 killed after eight explosions hit churches and hotels
Security officials arrest 13 suspects over Easter Sunday violence
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Your support makes all the difference.More than 200 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after eight bombs were detonated at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
Ruwan Wijewardena, the country’s defence minister, described the blasts as terrorist attacks by religious extremists, though no group has claimed responsibility for the violence.
Most of the explosions are believed to have been suicide bombings, which occurred at sites mainly in and around the capital of Colombo.
Officials said that 13 suspects had been arrested in connection to the attacks.
Three police officers were also killed while carrying out a security raid at a suspected safe house several hours after the blasts occurred.
The majority of the victims are Sri Lankan but several citizens of other countries were also killed.
At least five British citizens lost their lives in the attacks.
Citizens from the US, Turkey, Denmark, China and Portugal were also among the dead.
The Sri Lankan government has declared a dawn-to-dusk curfew in Colombo and blocked access to social media and messaging sites, including Facebook and WhatsApp.
It is unclear when the curfew will be lifted.
Additional reporting by agencies
If you would like to read about the aftermath of the attacks please see what was our live coverage below:
The Indian prime minister Chowkidar Narendra Modi has condemned “barbarism in our region” following the attacks.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which mark the worst violence in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago.
Sri Lankan security forces in 2009 defeated Tamil Tiger rebels who had fought to establish independence for the country’s ethnic minority Tamils. The UN initially estimated the death toll from 26 years of fighting to be about 100,000 but a UN experts’ panel later said some 45,000 ethnic Tamils may have been killed in the last months of the fighting alone.
Both government troops and the Tamil Tigers were both accused of grave human rights violations, which prompted local and international calls for investigations.
An update on the death toll following this morning’s horrific bombings. Hospital and police officials have told Reuters at least 138 people were killed. A security official also told the Associated Press at least 138 people were killed. Police have just told AFP that the death toll has risen to 156 people, including 35 foreigners.
All passengers flying out of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo today have been told to arrive at the airport four hours before their flight.
Hospital sources have told AFP that British, Dutch and American citizens were among the dead, with Britons and Japanese among those injured in the attacks. This has not yet been confirmed by police or government officials.
The news agency is reporting that at least 156 people were killed, including 35 foreign citizens.
The Australian government has warned its citizens in Sri Lanka: “There have been bomb blasts at different sites in #SriLanka, including #Colombo and #Batticaloa. Avoid the affected areas, and minimise your movements until the situation stabilises. Follow the advice of local authorities and monitor the media for updates.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has condemned the bomb attacks on Sri Lankan churches and hotels, saying “no one should ever have to practise their faith in fear”.
Another bomb explosion – a seventh – has been reported at a small motel in Dehiwela, near the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, according to police.
More on the seventh bombing at a Tropical Inn hotel in Dehiwela, Sri Lanka:
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