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Death toll from Sri Lanka bombings rises to 359 people

Officials in Sri Lanka have revealed further details about the suicide bombers that carried out t...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

07.50 24 Apr 2019


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Death toll from Sri Lanka bomb...

Death toll from Sri Lanka bombings rises to 359 people

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

07.50 24 Apr 2019


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Officials in Sri Lanka have revealed further details about the suicide bombers that carried out the Easter Sunday attacks that killed hundreds of people.

The death toll from the attacks in hotels and churches rose to 359 overnight, up from the previous toll of 321 people.

Around 500 others were injured in the series of blasts.

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According to local police, nine suicide bombers are believed to have carried out the attacks.

The country's deputy defence minister said the suspects had two safe-houses, which made it easier to plan the attacks.

Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters: "Most of them are well educated, and come from middle or upper middle class... financially they are quite independent... the families are quite stable financially."

He said several of them had studied in other countries, adding that it's believed one of the attackers studied in the UK and Australia before returning to Sri Lanka.

Arrests

A total of 58 people have been arrested, with authorities warning that several other suspects could still be on the loose.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although investigations are continuing into whether there were any links between the bombers and international groups.

Authorities in Sri Lanka have blamed a small local radical Islamist group called National Thowheed Jamath for the attacks.

It's emerged that intelligence reports had warned of attacks on churches ten days before the bombings.

Earlier, President Maithripala Sirisena said the country's security services would be overhauled in the wake of the attacks, adding that some senior officials would be dismissed.

In comments quoted by BBC, he said: "The security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me.

"I have decided to take stern action against these officials."

Funerals of the victims of the bombing are continuing, following a national day of mourning yesterday.

Main image: A priest conducts religious rituals during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Picture by: Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP/Press Association Images

 


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Attack Death Toll Maithripala Sirisena Ruwan Wijewardene Sri Lanka Suicide Bombings

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