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:
Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Sri Lankan authorities have arrested eight people in connection with the bombings attacks, AFP is reporting.
The Sri Lankan prime minister has also said there may have been some prior information about a possible attack, according to BBC reporter Azzam Ameen. Ranil Wickremesinghe said it would be one of the issues examined by the authorities.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he fears the massacre could trigger instability in Sri Lanka.
He has vowed to "vest all necessary powers with the defense forces" to find those responsible.
Several US citizens have been killed in the Easter Sunday bombings.
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, said in a statement that the US Embassy in Colombo was working to assist citizens and their families.
"These vile attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States remains resolved in our fight to defeat terrorism," Mr Pompeo said.
He added that "innocent people gathering in a place of worship or enjoying a holiday meal are affronts to the universal values and freedoms that we hold dear."
The Foreign Office has confirmed that British nationals were among those killed in Sunday's bombings in Sri Lanka.
British officials are supporting the relatives of the victims and are continuing to work with the relevant authorities to obtain further information, a spokesperson said.
Sri Lanka's ministry of foreign affairs had previously confirmed that at least five British people had been killed in the attacks.
Earlier on Sunday the Press Association reported that three Britons and two individuals holding joint United States and British citizenship were killed in the blasts.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder notes that the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued fresh travel advice regarding Sri Lanka.
It says British visitors should “follow the advice of local security authorities, hotel security staff or your tour company”.
The FCO adds that travellers should limit their their movements during the dusk-to-dawn curfew – though anyone with a flight booked from Colombo airport will be allowed to travel during the curfew provided they have their passport and a ticket valid for travel on Monday.
Passengers who arrive during the curfew will also be allowed to travel on to their intended destination.
Muslim groups in Sri Lanka have condemned Sunday's attacks.
The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka said it mourned the loss of innocent people in the blasts, by extremists who seek to divide religious and ethnic groups.
The All Ceylon Jammiyyathul Ulama a body of Muslim clerics, said targeting Christian places of worship could not be accepted.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings.
James Dauris, the UK's High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, has visited injured British citizens in hospital and condemned Sunday's "senseless attack".
"I've been speaking this afternoon with Brits in hospital who have been affected by today's senseless attacks," he said.
"My team's and my thoughts go out to all those people who are suffering as a result of the deplorable violence Sri Lanka has witnessed this Easter Sunday."
Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, said the attacks were "horrifying", and "to target those gathered for worship on Easter Sunday is particularly wicked".
New York City police will implement tighter security measures in the wake of Sunday's attacks in Sri Lanka.
Officers "will make periodic visits to all houses of worship, giving special attention to those with Easter services", a spokesperson for the New York Police Department (NYPD) said.
The deployed teams will have the ability to respond to incidents such as terror attacks.
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