On the Joyous Day of Easter, the happiness of people turned into fear after a wave of bomb attacks hits in the churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. The attacks have killed more than 150 people and injured hundreds. Many of the blasts appeared timed to cause maximum casualties among worshippers attending Easter services.
According to police source; in St. Sebastian’s church in Katuwapitiya, north of the capital Colombo, more than 50 people had been killed. Much of the church roof was blown out in the explosion, with roof tiles and splintered wood littering the floor and pools of blood in between wounded worshippers. Most of the targets were either in or close to the capital, Colombo. Among the hotels targeted was the Cinnamon Grand, a luxury hotel in the centre of the city that is favoured by top politicians. The following blast happened at the Zion church. A smaller blast at a hotel near the national zoo in Colombo came about three hours after the first attacks. The attacks are the most significant in the small island nation for many years and come a decade after the end of a bloody civil war. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks but official sources told that two blasts were suspected to have been the work of suicide bombers. As the attacks continued, the Sri Lankan government imposed a curfew. Leaders around the world rushed to condemn the attacks.
Theresa May, the UK prime minister, called the blasts “appalling” and Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, said those affected would be in the prayers of millions marking Easter Sunday around the world. Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the atrocities in Sri Lank at the conclusion of his Easter speech and denounced the “cruel violence” of the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. More European leaders have condemned the attacks and offered their sympathies to the victims. Those to have voiced solidarity include the European Council president, the president of the EU commission and the prime ministers of Finland and Denmark. There has been growing intercommunal tension in Sri Lanka for several years. This year, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), recorded 26 such incidents, including one in which Buddhist monks allegedly attempted to disrupt a Sunday worship service, with the last one reported on 25 March.
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Sri Lanka: Curfew Imposed After Easter Sunday Attack
