Intel warned of attacks: Lanka PM

Colombo, April 23

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today admitted that there had been prior intelligence warnings about the attacks in the country, including on the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

Talking to reporters, he also said there would be changes in the top positions of the security establishment following the deadly Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 321 persons and injured over 500.

Earlier addressing Parliament, he said investigators had made good progress identifying the suspects and that some of the bombers travelled abroad and then returned home.

He said "it was possible" the bombings were a "retaliation" for the New Zealand mosque attacks that left 50 Muslims dead and were blamed on a white supremacist from Australia. Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene made the similar remark earlier in the day.

Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka had been offered assistance by many countries and international organisations, including the UN, the Interpol, to combat terrorism.

"We should seize this opportunity and use their assistance to eradicate terrorism," he said. The Prime Minister said Sri Lanka had entered the map of global terrorism with the ruthless attacks on Sunday. "Therefore, we have to consider those who launched the attack as global terrorists and it is time to bring about structural changes to face this terror situation." 

He said Sri Lanka was facing global terrorism today and it had nothing to do with ethnic or religious extremists. The PM stressed that a majority of Muslims were against terrorism and extremism.

Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said the FBI had already commenced investigations into the incident, while the Interpol was expected to arrive in the country.

He also pointed out that the recent attacks targeted the country's economy and also the tourism industry. Accordingly, the government has taken steps to implement a special plan in order to protect the tourism industry, he said.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the devastating Easter blasts in Sri Lanka and identified the seven suicide bombers who were involved in the attacks. 

Forty suspects, including the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide bombers, have been arrested so far in connection with the attacks.

National flags were lowered to half mast and people bowed their heads as a three-minute silence began at 8:30 am local time, the time the first of the attacks occurred on Sunday. — PTI

Hasina’s kin killed 

An 8-yr-old relative of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina is among the 45 children killed in the attacks. He has been identified as Zayan Chowdhary, ruling Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim’s grandson.

Brother-bombers

Muslim brothers carried out two of the suicide blasts, sources said. Sons of a wealthy Colombo spice trader, they blew themselves up as guests queued for breakfast at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels.

We’re very sorry about the incident: govt

"We saw the warnings and we saw the details given… We are very, very sorry, as a government we have to say — we have to apologise to the families and the institutions about this incident. All the families will be compensated and churches rebuilt." Rajitha Senaratne, Government spokesperson