Global News

Sri Lanka’s minister of defense said Tuesday that initial investigation shows that the string of bloody blasts that targeted churches and hotels in the country were in retaliation for last month’s Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.

“The preliminary investigations showed that what happened in Sri Lanka (on Sunday) was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch,” state minister of defense Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament.

The death toll from the explosions across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has risen to 321. Over 500 people were wounded in the attacks, 375 of whom are still in hospital, said Wijewardene.

Two domestic Islamist organizations, including the National Thowheeth Jama’ath group, are responsible for the blasts, according to the minister.

What happened?

A series of eight blasts hit different cities in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, mainly targeting churches and hotels across the country.

Three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa were struck by blasts during Easter services.

Three luxury hotels in the capital city – Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel and Cinnamon Grand Colombo – were also hit.

Shortly after, an explosion ripped through at a hotel in Dehiwela near the capital city of Colombo and a blast struck a house in the suburb of Orugodawatta, north of Colombo.

Following the blasts, a “homemade” pipe bomb was found close to Colombo’s main airport and was successfully defused by the Sri Lankan air force, police said.

Source:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414e3163544d34457a6333566d54/index.html