Sri Lanka bombings: Explosion near Colombo church as police attempt to defuse three new bombs

Islamist group behind attacks believed to have links with foreign terrorist networks

Sri Lanka bomb: Dashcam footage showing the blast at Kochikade St. Anthony's church

Coordinated Easter Sunday bombings that ripped through Sri Lankan churches and luxury hotels were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a domestic militant group, according to government officials.

The bombings, the country's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago on the island nation, killed at least 290 people with more than 500 wounded. Eight Britons are among the dead.

Security forces are carrying out searches across the island to search for those behind the bombs. On Monday the group National Thowheed Jama’ath was named by a government minister as having carried out the attacks.

Follow the latest developments below

Key Points

• Fresh explosion as bomb squad tries to defuse three devices
• Police find 87 bomb detonators in Colombo's main bus station
• Sri Lankan government says local Islamist group National Thowheed Jama’ath responsible for attacks
• Eight Britons among the dead
• Death toll rises sharply overnight to at least 290

[22 April 2019 12:36 · Tom Batchelor]

The minister of justice and minister of Muslim Affairs are holding a joint press conference now following a security briefing.

With authorities naming a radical Islamist outfit as being behind recent threats, the minister of justice Rauf Hakeem said it was clear that "such a horrendous crime committed in such sophisticated, coordinated fashion" could not have been the actions of local actors alone.

Asked by The Independent how the Sri Lankan government can respond if an Isis-style global jihadist movement has taken root in the country, Mr Hakeem said: "We will do everything in our power to root out this evil ideology."

Ministries of justice and Muslim affairs hold joint press conference after meeting with Sri Lanka's Muslim leaders 

[22 April 2019 12:41 · Tom Batchelor]

Sri Lanka’s justice minister Rauf Hakeem has acknowledged that the atrocity could have been prevented had information relating to the attacks been passed from intelligence agencies to senior officials in the church.

"We regret the fact that the knowledge regarding impending attacks on churches, which was made available through intelligence agencies, was not relayed to the Archbishop. And which, if it were done in time, could have prevented this mayhem."

[22 April 2019 12:43 · Tom Batchelor]

How Indian newspapers - pictured at a roadside stall in Amritsar - covered Sunday's bombings 

[22 April 2019 13:01 · Tom Batchelor]

Here is a list of the confirmed casualties by country (provided by AP), not including the hundreds of Sri Lankans who make up the vast majority of those killed.

Sri Lanka's minister of tourism says 39 foreign tourists were killed, while another 28 were wounded. 

UK: Sri Lanka's top diplomat in Britain says authorities know of eight British nationals killed in the bombings. 

India: Indian officials say five Indians died in the attacks. 

Denmark: Danish media are saying that three of the four children of Danish business tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen were killed in the attacks. 

Australia: Australia's prime minister says two Australian citizens were killed. 

China: Chinese state media say two of the country's citizens died in the blasts. 

Others: The United States, Japan and Portugal have also confirmed their nationals were among the dead. 

[22 April 2019 13:07 · Tom Batchelor]

Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspect the site of an exploded van

people run for safety as authorities announced an evacuation of the area after a van was found parked with a suspected explosive device near St Anthony's Church 

[22 April 2019 13:30 · Tom Batchelor]

Here is our defence editor, Kim Sengupta, on the intelligence failures and 'ignored warnings' that preceded Sri Lanka's Easter massacre

[22 April 2019 13:55 · Tom Batchelor]

A view of the damage at St Sebastian Catholic Church in Negombo 

[22 April 2019 14:15 · Tom Batchelor]

Indian media reports that the wife and sister of the suicide bomber at the Shangri-La Hotel were killed in a suicide blast after a bomber blew himself up in a suburb in northern Colombo

[22 April 2019 14:45 · Tom Batchelor]

Sri Lanka's president has issued a statement following his meeting with the Archbishop of Colombo,  His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.

In it, President Maithripala Sirisena expressed his "shock, deep pain and dismay over the brutal attacks on places of catholic religious worship" and discussed with the archbishop "future steps that should be taken regarding this incident".

The statement said: "During this meeting, the president, expressing his views said that at present the government has taken every possible step to prevent recurrence of these kind of incidents in the country in the future.

"President Sirisena further said that he has given instructions to the security forces to provide security at any time it is needed to all religious leaders including the Archbishop as well as for shrines."

[22 April 2019 14:52 · Tom Batchelor]

Four American citizens were killed in the attack, according to CNN. 

A US official also told the broadcaster there were indications that the group responsible had been inspired by Isis, although no organisation has claimed responsibility.