Easter attack : All you need to know this morning

by Staff Writer 22-04-2019 | 5:52 AM

Colombo (News1st) - 8 bomb blasts rocked Sri Lanka to its core on Sunday (April 21), a day on which the Christian population of the country was celebrating Easter. The coordinated attacks took place around 8.45am. Curfew was declared last afternoon and is to be lifted at 6am, according to the Police spokesperson. Current death toll: 290 The number of injured: 500 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night issued a release detailing the nationalities of the foreign victims who died in the Easter bombings. 8 explosions were reported yesterday

Katuwapitiya Church
Kochikade Church
Church in Batticaloa
Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo
Cinnamon Grand hotel
Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo
Dehiwala
Dematagoda

According to the Police, members of the CCD managed to arrest 13 individuals linked to the attack last night and 10 of them were later transferred into the custody of the CID for further investigations. Officers of the Wellwatte police late last night managed to take into custody a van and a driver believed to have been used to transport the attackers. 24 people have been arrested thus far in relation to the incidents. An improvised explosive device (IED) was discovered in close proximity to the Bandaranaike International Airport last night. The IED was successfully diffused and detonated by the members of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The bomb was discovered along the Adiambalama road, in close proximity to the BIA hours before President Maithripala Sirisena returned to the country. Schools and Universities remain closed, scheduled government examinations have been postponed. The Colombo Stock Exchange last night announced that they would not be open for trading until further notice. The United States of America and the United Kingdom have issued travel advisories for Sri Lanka. The attacks that took place yesterday has also drawn international condemnation. Among those who had expressed solidarity are Pope Francis, the UN, the EU, US President Donald Trump, former US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Premier Narendra Modi and Pakistani PM Imran Khan.