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Serious Sri Lanka Easter Sunday terror attacks at churches and hotels
- Thread starter laksaboy
- Start date
At least 129 dead as synchronised explosions rip through hotels and churches in Sri Lanka
Yahoo News UKApril 21, 2019, 7:23 AM GMT
Sri Lanka’s state-run newspaper has reported that 129 people have died in a series of Easter Sunday blasts targeting three churches and three hotels.
Yahoo News UKApril 21, 2019, 7:23 AM GMT
Sri Lanka’s state-run newspaper has reported that 129 people have died in a series of Easter Sunday blasts targeting three churches and three hotels.
Multiple blasts hit Sri Lanka churches, hotels; at least 150 dead, hundreds injured
COLOMBO: The death toll in a string of blasts targeting hotels and churches in Sri Lanka on Sunday (Apr 21) has risen to 156, including 35 foreigners, a police official told AFP.
The police official said at least 45 people had been killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit.
Another 67 were killed in an attack on a church in Negombo north of the capital, with another 25 dead at a church in the town of Batticaloa, in the east of the country.
The first explosions were reported at St Anthony's Church in Colombo and St Sebastian's in the town of Negombo just outside the capital.
At least 160 people injured in the St Anthony's blast had been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital by mid-morning, an official told AFP.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/sri-lanka-blasts-churches-hotels-easter-mass-11464816
COLOMBO: The death toll in a string of blasts targeting hotels and churches in Sri Lanka on Sunday (Apr 21) has risen to 156, including 35 foreigners, a police official told AFP.
The police official said at least 45 people had been killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit.
Another 67 were killed in an attack on a church in Negombo north of the capital, with another 25 dead at a church in the town of Batticaloa, in the east of the country.
The first explosions were reported at St Anthony's Church in Colombo and St Sebastian's in the town of Negombo just outside the capital.
At least 160 people injured in the St Anthony's blast had been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital by mid-morning, an official told AFP.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/sri-lanka-blasts-churches-hotels-easter-mass-11464816
COLOMBO (REUTERS, AFP, BLOOMBERG, NYTIMES) - Two fresh blasts hit Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo on Easter Sunday (April 21), killing at least two people, a police spokesman said, after a string of explosions at churches and hotels.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the seventh blast hit a hotel in the southern Colombo suburb of Dehiwala, and the eighth blast hit the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, but there were no further details on what was targeted.
The Sri Lankan government has declared curfew with immediate effect, but it is unclear on when it will be lifted, adding that access to major social media and messaging services have been shut down.
Earlier on Sunday, at least 189 people were killed and more than 400 were injured when three Sri Lankan churches and three hotels were rocked by a string of explosions, police and hospital sources said.
Police officials added that at least 35 foreigners were among the dead. A hospital source said American, British and Dutch citizens were among those killed in the six blasts.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who condemned the "cowardly attacks", has called for an emergency security council meeting to review the attacks that seem to be coordinated.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong,” he said in a tweet. “Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.”
President Maithripala Sirisena said in an address that he was shocked by the explosions, and appealed for calm. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, writing on his verified Twitter account, said the attacks had killed “many innocent people” and appeared to be a “well-coordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem & anarchy”.
The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka said four Chinese nationals were injured, Xinhua news agency reported, adding that the nationals were in stable condition.
Embassies in Colombo also warned their citizens to shelter in place, and Sri Lankan Airlines told customers to arrive at the airport four hours ahead of flights because of ramped-up security in the wake of the attacks.
As ambulance sirens wailed across several different cities on Sunday, pews at the targeted churches lay in splinters. Soldiers shut down roads and Internet transmission slowed dramatically, possibly a government effort to stop the spread of fake news. Hundreds of people rushed to donate blood after a public appeal.
Ten days before Sunday's bomb attacks, Sri Lanka’s police chief made a nationwide alert that suicide bombers planned to hit “prominent churches”, according to the warning seen by AFP.
Police chief Pujuth Jayasundara sent an intelligence warning to top officers on April 11 setting out the threat.
“A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama’ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo,” said the alert.
The NTJ is a radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka that came to notice in 2018 when it was linked to the vandalisation of Buddhist statues.
A senior presidential aide said early investigations suggested that the attacks had been carried out by suicide bombers.
The first explosions on Sunday were reported at St Anthony’s Church in Colombo and St Sebastian’s in the town of Negombo just outside the capital.
At least 160 people injured in the St Anthony’s blast had been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital by mid-morning, an official told AFP.
Shortly after those blasts were reported, police confirmed three high-end hotels in the capital had also been hit, along with a church in the town of Batticaloa, in the east of the country.
An official at the Batticaloa hospital told AFP more than 300 people had been admitted with injuries following the blast there.
Damage was seen at luxury hotels including the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand. Bloomberg reported that police and emergency vehicles have blocked the entrance to the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, where there’s visible damage, including shattered windows, above the main entrance where a cafe is located.
At least one of the victims was killed in Colombo’s Cinnamon Grand Hotel, near the prime minister’s official residence, where the blast ripped through a restaurant, a hotel official told AFP.
Five-star Shangri-La Hotel released a statement on Sunday addressing the attacks, saying that it was "deeply saddened and shocked" by the incident.
"At approximately 9.05am local time, an explosion took place in Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo’s Table One cafe - one of several locations in Colombo which were affected by this morning's attacks," the statement reads.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the casualties and those who have been affected.
"We are working closely with local authorities and emergency services to provide our fullest assistance and support to the affected staff and guests.
"Our immediate priority is to look after the safety and well-being of all involved. A Shangri-La crisis management team has been activated to provide all necessary support.
"As this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further at this stage. We will provide an update once more information is available."
At St Anthony’s Church in Kochcikade in Colombo, a Reuters source in the police bomb squad said: “Our people are engaged in evacuating the casualties."
Photos circulating on social media showed the roof of one church had been almost blown off in the blast. The floor was littered with a mixture of roof tiles, splintered wood and blood. Several people could be seen covered in blood, with some trying to help those with more serious injuries. The images could not immediately be verified.
“It was a river of blood,” said Mr N.A. Sumanapala, a shopkeeper near the church who said he had run inside to help.
“The priest came out and he was covered in blood and he seemed be covered in someone else’s skin,’’ he said.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/blasts-hit-two-sri-lanka-churches-during-easter-mass-police
Aren’t the Tamil Tigers supposed to be alive and kicking still ?
Sri Lanka is majority Buddhist and yet the mudslimes can launch a successful terrorist attack. The demographics are similar to singkieland..so it's just a matter of time b4 the mudslimes here pull the same stunt. I hope that happens and blows up the prostitute traders family. That will make him eat his words.
Awaiting the resident mudslime whore a d his comments...
I pray that happens so the world will sooner wake up and finally do something about the mozzie scourge
Christians will always be targets because they won't strap a bomb n walk into a mosque. Unlike mudslimes who will do that to a church.
Piang! Piang! Piang! Huat Ah!
Good Carnage! Christians & Chow Ang Moh are the obvious targets!
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/asia/sri-lanka-explosion.html
Sri Lanka Bombings Live Updates: Deadly Carnage at Churches and Hotels
The aftermath of a blast at Zion Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, on Sunday.CreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
The aftermath of a blast at Zion Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, on Sunday.CreditCreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
By The New York Times
• The explosions began erupting about 8:45 a.m., hitting three Roman Catholic churches celebrating Easter Mass and three five-star hotels.
• A health official at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka said 189 people had been killed. But the death toll was expected to rise. Eleven foreigners were among the dead, she said.
• No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings. A senior presidential aide said it appeared that the attacks had been carried out by suicide bombers.
Covered bodies and debris in St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a string of explosions ripped through hotels and churches on Sunday.CreditIshara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
Covered bodies and debris in St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a string of explosions ripped through hotels and churches on Sunday.CreditIshara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A wave of explosions as worshipers celebrated Mass
Some of the victims were killed as worshipers celebrating Mass at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, the capital; St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, about 20 miles north of Colombo; and Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa, officials said.
The attacks also targeted high-end hotels in Colombo, the capital, including the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury.
The blast shattered windows and walls at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo.CreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
The blast shattered windows and walls at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo.CreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
‘A lot of blood on the floor’
A witness, Sarita Marlou, who was at the Shangri-La hotel, wrote in a Facebook post that one blast occurred at 8:57 a.m. in the Table One Restaurant on the third floor where people had gathered for brunch.
“Felt the blast all the way up to the 17th floor where we were sleeping,” she wrote. “Few minutes later, we were asked to evacuate the hotel. While running down the stairs, saw a lot of blood on the floor but we were still clueless as to what really happened.”
Ms. Marlou posted that the guests had been stuck outside for more than two hours before being ushered back inside as the sun got hot. But they still were not cleared to go back to their rooms, she wrote.
Social media is restricted and a curfew imposed
The government shut down access to major social media and messaging services, including Facebook and WhatsApp, and internet transmission slowed drastically.
The authorities took a similar step after sectarian violence last year. At that time, some of the violence has been instigated by Facebook postings that threatened attacks on Muslims, the government said.
There were also reports that the government had set a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday.
Extremism has grown in Sri Lanka
Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, said that radical Islamist groups had been quietly growing in influence for years in Sri Lanka, in the nearby Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the nearby island nation of the Maldives.
Mr. Chellaney said that it was unexpected that the attackers had the confidence to raid hotels in Sri Lanka, saying that the island’s hotels had tried to provide tight security during the island’s civil war and ever since.
“Hotels are on guard in Sri Lanka, so I’m surprised that three hotels still came under target,” he said.
Buddhist statues were defaced last year in Sri Lanka in what appears to have been an iconoclastic attack by Muslims, he said. In the Maldives, radical Muslims destroyed Buddhist archaeological finds in early 2012 at the country’s National Museum.
Mourners near St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo.CreditDinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters
Image
Mourners near St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo.CreditDinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters
Wounds of past violence are still fresh in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s civil war ended almost 10 years ago, but memories of urban carnage are still fresh, particularly for residents of the capital. During the conflict, brutal bombings of airports, bus stations, banks, cafes, and hotels were not uncommon. The Cinnamon Grand, one of the hotels targeted on Sunday, had been blown up before, in 1984, when it was called the Hotel Lanka Oberoi.
The Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka traces its roots to the arrival of the Portuguese in the early 1500s and the subsequent influence of Portuguese, Dutch and Irish missionaries. Sri Lankan Catholics make up a significant minority of the country’s population, accounting for roughly 6 percent of the country and centered largely in the Colombo-Negombo area.
In 1995, Pope John Paul II traveled to Sri Lanka to canonize Joseph Vaz, an Indian-born priest and missionary. Thousands of people greeted the pope’s motorcade as it traveled from the airport in Negombo to Colombo.
World leaders condemned the attack
Pope Francis, after celebrating Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, said the bombings in Sri Lanka had “brought mourning and sorrow.”
He expressed “affectionate closeness to the Christian community, struck while it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence.”
In a Twitter post, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka denounced the assaults and urged the public not to spread misinformation, which has fueled the country’s sectarian divide in the past.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, called the blasts “horrific” in a post on Twitter. “There is no place for such barbarism in our region,” he wrote. India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbor and shares many cultural and economic ties with the island nation.
Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan said his country “stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.”
Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany were among the European leaders to express their grief at the attacks.
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Union Commission, said that he had received news of the bombings “with horror and sadness.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said in a post on Twitter that the attack was “an assault on all of humanity.”
Mangala Samaraweera, the Sri Lankan finance minister, called the explosions “a well-coordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem and anarchy.”
President Trump said on Twitter that the United States stood ready to help, though the number of victims was inflated in a typo.
“Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels,” he wrote, adding that the explosions had “killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more.”
Keith Bradsher, Dharisha Bastians, Mujib Mashal, Gerry Mullany and Iliana Magra contributed reporting.
Good Carnage! Christians & Chow Ang Moh are the obvious targets!
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/asia/sri-lanka-explosion.html
Sri Lanka Bombings Live Updates: Deadly Carnage at Churches and Hotels
The aftermath of a blast at Zion Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, on Sunday.CreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
The aftermath of a blast at Zion Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, on Sunday.CreditCreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
By The New York Times
- April 21, 2019
• The explosions began erupting about 8:45 a.m., hitting three Roman Catholic churches celebrating Easter Mass and three five-star hotels.
• A health official at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka said 189 people had been killed. But the death toll was expected to rise. Eleven foreigners were among the dead, she said.
• No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings. A senior presidential aide said it appeared that the attacks had been carried out by suicide bombers.
Covered bodies and debris in St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a string of explosions ripped through hotels and churches on Sunday.CreditIshara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image
Covered bodies and debris in St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a string of explosions ripped through hotels and churches on Sunday.CreditIshara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A wave of explosions as worshipers celebrated Mass
Some of the victims were killed as worshipers celebrating Mass at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, the capital; St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, about 20 miles north of Colombo; and Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa, officials said.
The attacks also targeted high-end hotels in Colombo, the capital, including the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury.
The blast shattered windows and walls at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo.CreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
The blast shattered windows and walls at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo.CreditM. A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA, via Shutterstock
‘A lot of blood on the floor’
A witness, Sarita Marlou, who was at the Shangri-La hotel, wrote in a Facebook post that one blast occurred at 8:57 a.m. in the Table One Restaurant on the third floor where people had gathered for brunch.
“Felt the blast all the way up to the 17th floor where we were sleeping,” she wrote. “Few minutes later, we were asked to evacuate the hotel. While running down the stairs, saw a lot of blood on the floor but we were still clueless as to what really happened.”
Ms. Marlou posted that the guests had been stuck outside for more than two hours before being ushered back inside as the sun got hot. But they still were not cleared to go back to their rooms, she wrote.
Social media is restricted and a curfew imposed
The government shut down access to major social media and messaging services, including Facebook and WhatsApp, and internet transmission slowed drastically.
The authorities took a similar step after sectarian violence last year. At that time, some of the violence has been instigated by Facebook postings that threatened attacks on Muslims, the government said.
There were also reports that the government had set a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday.
Extremism has grown in Sri Lanka
Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, said that radical Islamist groups had been quietly growing in influence for years in Sri Lanka, in the nearby Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the nearby island nation of the Maldives.
Mr. Chellaney said that it was unexpected that the attackers had the confidence to raid hotels in Sri Lanka, saying that the island’s hotels had tried to provide tight security during the island’s civil war and ever since.
“Hotels are on guard in Sri Lanka, so I’m surprised that three hotels still came under target,” he said.
Buddhist statues were defaced last year in Sri Lanka in what appears to have been an iconoclastic attack by Muslims, he said. In the Maldives, radical Muslims destroyed Buddhist archaeological finds in early 2012 at the country’s National Museum.
Mourners near St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo.CreditDinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters
Image
Mourners near St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo.CreditDinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters
Wounds of past violence are still fresh in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s civil war ended almost 10 years ago, but memories of urban carnage are still fresh, particularly for residents of the capital. During the conflict, brutal bombings of airports, bus stations, banks, cafes, and hotels were not uncommon. The Cinnamon Grand, one of the hotels targeted on Sunday, had been blown up before, in 1984, when it was called the Hotel Lanka Oberoi.
The Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka traces its roots to the arrival of the Portuguese in the early 1500s and the subsequent influence of Portuguese, Dutch and Irish missionaries. Sri Lankan Catholics make up a significant minority of the country’s population, accounting for roughly 6 percent of the country and centered largely in the Colombo-Negombo area.
In 1995, Pope John Paul II traveled to Sri Lanka to canonize Joseph Vaz, an Indian-born priest and missionary. Thousands of people greeted the pope’s motorcade as it traveled from the airport in Negombo to Colombo.
World leaders condemned the attack
Pope Francis, after celebrating Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, said the bombings in Sri Lanka had “brought mourning and sorrow.”
He expressed “affectionate closeness to the Christian community, struck while it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence.”
In a Twitter post, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka denounced the assaults and urged the public not to spread misinformation, which has fueled the country’s sectarian divide in the past.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, called the blasts “horrific” in a post on Twitter. “There is no place for such barbarism in our region,” he wrote. India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbor and shares many cultural and economic ties with the island nation.
Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan said his country “stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.”
Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany were among the European leaders to express their grief at the attacks.
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Union Commission, said that he had received news of the bombings “with horror and sadness.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said in a post on Twitter that the attack was “an assault on all of humanity.”
Mangala Samaraweera, the Sri Lankan finance minister, called the explosions “a well-coordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem and anarchy.”
President Trump said on Twitter that the United States stood ready to help, though the number of victims was inflated in a typo.
“Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels,” he wrote, adding that the explosions had “killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more.”
Keith Bradsher, Dharisha Bastians, Mujib Mashal, Gerry Mullany and Iliana Magra contributed reporting.
Many bombs! This is wholesale carnage!
https://www.foxnews.com/world/blast...otels-in-sri-lanka-multiple-fatalies-reported
Blasts rock 3 churches, 3 hotels in Sri Lanka; multiple fatalities reported
By Louis Casiano | Fox News
Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. (Associated Press)
Six nearly simultaneous explosions struck three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, killing nearly 200 people and injuring many more, according to police and hospital sources.
Multiple fatalities -- including 11 foreigners -- resulted among worshipers and hotel guests, a police official said, adding that at least two of the church blasts were believed to have been a coordinated attack carried out by suicide bombers.
The first explosions occurred around 8:45 a.m., with the deadliest appearing to be at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, a city about 20 miles north of Colombo, the capital. Other attacks occurred at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa. The three hotels -- the Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury Hotel -- all in Colombo, are frequented by foreign tourists.
Photos posted to social media showed extensive damage, along with blood and debris inside the targeted churches.
Dr. Samiddhi Samarakoon, a deputy director of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, told the New York Times the death toll had risen to 189 by Sunday afternoon. U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz offered her condolences over Twitter early Sunday.
"Deeply saddened by the senseless attacks in Sri Lanka today. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand with Sri Lanka’s people at this terrible moment," she tweeted.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with senior military personnel in an emergency meeting. He condemned the "cowardly attacks" on Twitter.
SRI LANKA AVERTS RIFT SPILLING OVER TO UN RIGHTS SESSION
Photos posted to social media showed blood and debris in the targeted places of worship. St. Sebastian's pleaded for help on its Facebook page. The explosion ripped the roof off the building and knocked out doors and windows. Churches throughout the country have been placed on alert, with many canceling Easter services.
“Our phones were on silent, but one guy got a text about the bomb blast,” Ranil Thilkaratne, who was at a service in the Colombo suburb of Nugegoda, told the Times. “Then he alerted the priest. We stopped the service and moved out.”
A temporary social media ban was imposed after the blasts and a night-time curfew will begin at 6 p.m. local time.
In a statement from Jerusalem, the Catholic Church in the Holy Land said it was praying "for the souls of the victims and ask for speedy recovery of the injured, and ask God to inspire the terrorists to repent of their killing and intimidation."
A police official told Agence France-Presse that 45 people died in Colombo, 67 in Negombo and another 25 in Batticaloa, according to early estimates.
People gather outside St. Anthony's Shrine where a blast happened, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. (Associated Press)
The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak with reporters.
Alex Agileson, who was in the vicinity, told the Associated Press that the explosions shook other buildings in the surrounding area. He reported seeing numerous people carried to ambulances.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Police immediately rushed to the scenes of the blasts. About 50 people with assorted injuries had so far been admitted in Colombo's main hospital.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility, Reuters reported.
Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Harsha de Silva tweeted Sunday of "many casualties including foreigners."
"Sec Defence and I am at Kochchikade church. Also was at ShangriLa n Kingsbury. PM is on his way from Bentota. Emergency meeting called in a few minutes. Rescue operations underway. Please stay calm and indoors. Many casualties including foreigners," he posted.
"Horrible scenes. I saw many body parts strewn all over. Emergency crews are at all locations in full force. We, at 1990 also have close to 20 units at the various locations. We took multiple casualties to hospital. Hopefully saved many lives," he continued.
Several world leaders condemned Sunday's attacks.
British Prime Minister Teresa May tweeted "We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to (practice) their faith in fear."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the blasts "an assault on all of humanity," while Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced them as "cruel and cynical."
As the toll rises, the National Blood Transfusion Service put out an appeal to the public for donations.
The magnitude of the attacks recalls Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war when separatist Tamil Tigers and other rebel groups targeted the Central Bank, Buddist temple and hotels popular with tourists. Government forces defeated the separatist group was defeated in 2009 after 26 years of fighting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/blast...otels-in-sri-lanka-multiple-fatalies-reported
Blasts rock 3 churches, 3 hotels in Sri Lanka; multiple fatalities reported
By Louis Casiano | Fox News
Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. (Associated Press)
Six nearly simultaneous explosions struck three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, killing nearly 200 people and injuring many more, according to police and hospital sources.
Multiple fatalities -- including 11 foreigners -- resulted among worshipers and hotel guests, a police official said, adding that at least two of the church blasts were believed to have been a coordinated attack carried out by suicide bombers.
The first explosions occurred around 8:45 a.m., with the deadliest appearing to be at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, a city about 20 miles north of Colombo, the capital. Other attacks occurred at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa. The three hotels -- the Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury Hotel -- all in Colombo, are frequented by foreign tourists.
Photos posted to social media showed extensive damage, along with blood and debris inside the targeted churches.
Dr. Samiddhi Samarakoon, a deputy director of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, told the New York Times the death toll had risen to 189 by Sunday afternoon. U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz offered her condolences over Twitter early Sunday.
"Deeply saddened by the senseless attacks in Sri Lanka today. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand with Sri Lanka’s people at this terrible moment," she tweeted.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with senior military personnel in an emergency meeting. He condemned the "cowardly attacks" on Twitter.
SRI LANKA AVERTS RIFT SPILLING OVER TO UN RIGHTS SESSION
Photos posted to social media showed blood and debris in the targeted places of worship. St. Sebastian's pleaded for help on its Facebook page. The explosion ripped the roof off the building and knocked out doors and windows. Churches throughout the country have been placed on alert, with many canceling Easter services.
“Our phones were on silent, but one guy got a text about the bomb blast,” Ranil Thilkaratne, who was at a service in the Colombo suburb of Nugegoda, told the Times. “Then he alerted the priest. We stopped the service and moved out.”
A temporary social media ban was imposed after the blasts and a night-time curfew will begin at 6 p.m. local time.
In a statement from Jerusalem, the Catholic Church in the Holy Land said it was praying "for the souls of the victims and ask for speedy recovery of the injured, and ask God to inspire the terrorists to repent of their killing and intimidation."
A police official told Agence France-Presse that 45 people died in Colombo, 67 in Negombo and another 25 in Batticaloa, according to early estimates.
People gather outside St. Anthony's Shrine where a blast happened, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. (Associated Press)
The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak with reporters.
Alex Agileson, who was in the vicinity, told the Associated Press that the explosions shook other buildings in the surrounding area. He reported seeing numerous people carried to ambulances.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Police immediately rushed to the scenes of the blasts. About 50 people with assorted injuries had so far been admitted in Colombo's main hospital.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility, Reuters reported.
Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Harsha de Silva tweeted Sunday of "many casualties including foreigners."
"Sec Defence and I am at Kochchikade church. Also was at ShangriLa n Kingsbury. PM is on his way from Bentota. Emergency meeting called in a few minutes. Rescue operations underway. Please stay calm and indoors. Many casualties including foreigners," he posted.
"Horrible scenes. I saw many body parts strewn all over. Emergency crews are at all locations in full force. We, at 1990 also have close to 20 units at the various locations. We took multiple casualties to hospital. Hopefully saved many lives," he continued.
Several world leaders condemned Sunday's attacks.
British Prime Minister Teresa May tweeted "We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to (practice) their faith in fear."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the blasts "an assault on all of humanity," while Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced them as "cruel and cynical."
As the toll rises, the National Blood Transfusion Service put out an appeal to the public for donations.
The magnitude of the attacks recalls Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war when separatist Tamil Tigers and other rebel groups targeted the Central Bank, Buddist temple and hotels popular with tourists. Government forces defeated the separatist group was defeated in 2009 after 26 years of fighting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Hopefully xtians will revive the crusades
I would like to see the same outrage as in the Christchurch killing.
https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...osions-rock-churches-hotels/story?id=62533965
The country is one of the most often attacked by terrorists.
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WATCH | Holy week, a deadly bus crash, the blue forest: World in Photos, April 18
By Mark Osborne and Dragana Jovanovic Apr 21, 2019 7:30 PM
At least 190 people were killed and hundreds more injured as several churches and hotels were rocked by simultaneous explosions on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
Eight explosions took place, including in three Christian churches and three hotels, some commonly used by foreign visitors. In addition to those who were killed at least another 500 were wounded, according to officials with police, the Colombo Hospital and St. Sebastian Church.
There were at least nine foreigners among the dead in Colombo, according to the officials. Two dual citizens of the U.S. and U.K. were among the dead, as well as one Portuguese citizen and two U.K. citizens, according to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One American was also among the missing. All of the foreigners died in attacks on hotels.
President Donald Trump sent his condolences to the country in an early morning tweet from Mar-a-Lago, where he is spending the Easter holiday.
"The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka," he tweeted Sunday morning. "We stand ready to help!"
One of the churches struck by the attack was St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which is located about an hour north of the country's capital of Colombo. The church posted photos of the attack on its Facebook page and pleaded for relatives to "come and help if your family members are there."
St. Anthony's Shrine, a Catholic church in Colombo, and Zion Church, in Batticaloa, were also attacked. Colombo, the country's capital is located on the western side of the island nation, while Batticaloa is on the eastern shore.
Shangri-La Hotel, Cinnamon Grand Hotel and Kingsbury Hotel, all located in Colombo, were targeted in the bombings. All are popular with foreigners.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) ri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019.
Officials who spoke to ABC News were able to confirm at least 24 people were killed at St. Anthony's Church, 27 died at Batticaloa's Zion Church and 81 have died at St. Sebastian Church. There were about 500 people at the Easter Mass at St. Sebastian when when the explosion took place, according to officials from the church.
Buddhism is the most common religion in Sri Lanka. National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri-Lanka documented the growing number of attacks on Christians in 2018, saying there were 67 from January to September.
(MORE: Sri Lanka destroys cocaine, to resume capital punishment)
Parliamentary member Harsha de Silva said foreigners were among the dead or injured, but did not provide further details.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. But the Associated Press is reporting that seven suspects have been arrested.
Sri Lanka has been at times one of the most dangerous locations in the world for terrorist attacks. A civil war that raged for decades between the ruling government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -- known colloquially as the Tamil Tigers or LTTE -- officially ended in 2009, but some conflict has continued. As many as 100,000 people were killed in the civil war from 1982 to 2009, according to the U.N.
(St. Sebastian's Church) An explosion rocked St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, April 21, 2019.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) People gather outside St. Anthony's Shrine where a blast happened, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. A Sri Lanka hospital spokesman says several blasts on Easter Sunday have killed dozens of people.
The U.K. government warns travelers of the risks posed by those visiting the country.
"Terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka can’t be ruled out," the government advises on its website. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners."
(St. Sebastian's Church) An explosion rocked St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, April 21, 2019.
The U.S. lists Sri Lanka as a Level 1 country, the lowest travel warning.
The country was also divided by a constitutional crisis at the end of 2018 when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was removed by the country's president in October, only to later be reinstated in December.
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The country is one of the most often attacked by terrorists.
Copy and paste to share this video
Copy and paste to embed this video
WATCH | Holy week, a deadly bus crash, the blue forest: World in Photos, April 18
By Mark Osborne and Dragana Jovanovic Apr 21, 2019 7:30 PM
At least 190 people were killed and hundreds more injured as several churches and hotels were rocked by simultaneous explosions on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
Eight explosions took place, including in three Christian churches and three hotels, some commonly used by foreign visitors. In addition to those who were killed at least another 500 were wounded, according to officials with police, the Colombo Hospital and St. Sebastian Church.
There were at least nine foreigners among the dead in Colombo, according to the officials. Two dual citizens of the U.S. and U.K. were among the dead, as well as one Portuguese citizen and two U.K. citizens, according to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One American was also among the missing. All of the foreigners died in attacks on hotels.
President Donald Trump sent his condolences to the country in an early morning tweet from Mar-a-Lago, where he is spending the Easter holiday.
"The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka," he tweeted Sunday morning. "We stand ready to help!"
One of the churches struck by the attack was St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which is located about an hour north of the country's capital of Colombo. The church posted photos of the attack on its Facebook page and pleaded for relatives to "come and help if your family members are there."
St. Anthony's Shrine, a Catholic church in Colombo, and Zion Church, in Batticaloa, were also attacked. Colombo, the country's capital is located on the western side of the island nation, while Batticaloa is on the eastern shore.
Shangri-La Hotel, Cinnamon Grand Hotel and Kingsbury Hotel, all located in Colombo, were targeted in the bombings. All are popular with foreigners.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) ri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019.
Officials who spoke to ABC News were able to confirm at least 24 people were killed at St. Anthony's Church, 27 died at Batticaloa's Zion Church and 81 have died at St. Sebastian Church. There were about 500 people at the Easter Mass at St. Sebastian when when the explosion took place, according to officials from the church.
Buddhism is the most common religion in Sri Lanka. National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri-Lanka documented the growing number of attacks on Christians in 2018, saying there were 67 from January to September.
(MORE: Sri Lanka destroys cocaine, to resume capital punishment)
Parliamentary member Harsha de Silva said foreigners were among the dead or injured, but did not provide further details.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. But the Associated Press is reporting that seven suspects have been arrested.
Sri Lanka has been at times one of the most dangerous locations in the world for terrorist attacks. A civil war that raged for decades between the ruling government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -- known colloquially as the Tamil Tigers or LTTE -- officially ended in 2009, but some conflict has continued. As many as 100,000 people were killed in the civil war from 1982 to 2009, according to the U.N.
(St. Sebastian's Church) An explosion rocked St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, April 21, 2019.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) People gather outside St. Anthony's Shrine where a blast happened, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. A Sri Lanka hospital spokesman says several blasts on Easter Sunday have killed dozens of people.
The U.K. government warns travelers of the risks posed by those visiting the country.
"Terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka can’t be ruled out," the government advises on its website. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners."
(St. Sebastian's Church) An explosion rocked St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, April 21, 2019.
The U.S. lists Sri Lanka as a Level 1 country, the lowest travel warning.
The country was also divided by a constitutional crisis at the end of 2018 when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was removed by the country's president in October, only to later be reinstated in December.
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Ang Moh Terrorist attacked mosque, why Ah Nehs instead of Ang Moh kenna pay back?
Probably nothing to do with race, but religion.
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