LIVE news updates: NZ PM Jacinda Ardern says no info regarding link between Christchurch and Sri Lanka attacks

PM Jacinda Ardern’s office said that New Zealand “has not yet seen any intelligence” on the basis of which it can be said that the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka were linked to the Christchurch attacks

New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern fights terrorism
New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern fights terrorism
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NH Web Desk

23 Apr 2019, 7:39 PM

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern says no info regarding link between Christchurch and Sri Lanka attacks

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's office said that New Zealand "has not yet seen any intelligence" on the basis of which it can be said that the Easter suicide bombings in Sri Lanka were linked to the mosque attacks in Christchurch last month

23 Apr 2019, 7:45 PM

Sri Lankan government to ban Burqas and niqab

With interrogation of suspects and other evidence pointing to the involvement of many women in the Easter Sunday bombings, the Sri Lankan government may end up banning 'burqa' and 'niqab', a newspaper reported.

23 Apr 2019, 7:39 PM

United Nations reveals that At least 45 children in Sri Lanka's Easter bombings

At least 45 children were among 321 people killed in Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday suicide bombings, according to the United Nations


23 Apr 2019, 6:39 PM

Kashmiri scholar with terror links arrested in Punjab

A Kashmiri PhD scholar was arrested in a joint operation of the Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab Police from the Central University in Bathinda on Tuesday for alleged terror links, police said.

The accused, Hilal Ahmed, 28, is being taken to Jammu and Kashmir for further investigation. The arrest was made following a raid conducted in the varsity campus, Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh told IANS.

Police sources said that Ahmed was linked to terror activities and involved in terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.

23 Apr 2019, 6:32 PM

Saudi Arabia executes 37 citizens for 'terrorism'


23 Apr 2019, 6:14 PM

"The investigators are making good progress in regard to identifying the culprits" Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a press conference on Easter Sunday blast said that “the investigators are making good progress in regard to identifying the culprits. Many countries are helping us, starting from United States. I condole the death of all those who lost their lives”

23 Apr 2019, 6:08 PM

Rupee rises 5 paise against US dollar despite crude oil concerns

The rupee on Tuesday recovered from the day's lows to close higher by 5 paise at 69.62 against the US dollar on some dollar selling by banks and exporters.

However, subdued equity market sentiment and a stronger dollar against its key rival currencies limited the rupee's gain, forex dealers said.

At Interbank Foreign Exchange, the rupee opened strong at 69.63 a dollar and touched a high of 69.53 in early trade.

The local currency erased its gains and dropped to a low of 69.83 as crude oil prices extended their Monday's rally, triggering inflationary and fiscal slippage concerns.


23 Apr 2019, 5:52 PM

ED summons Chanda Kochhar in ICICI-Videocon case

Former MD and chief executive officer of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar has been summoned to appear before ED officials on May 3 in connection with the ICICI-Videocon case.

Her husband Deepak Kochhar and brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar have also been summoned to appear before the Mumbai Investigation office on 30th April

23 Apr 2019, 5:45 PM

Philippines earthquake death toll rises to 16


23 Apr 2019, 5:45 PM

NCW chief to hold walk-in meetings with women abandoned by NRI husbands

The NCW would hold walk-in meetings every week with women who have been abandoned by their NRI husbands to hear their grievances.

National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma said the meetings would be held every Monday from 3-4 pm to hear the grievances of the complainants who are suffering in cases of NRI marriages.

23 Apr 2019, 5:36 PM

More than 50 feared killed in landslide at Myanmar jade mine

More than 50 people are feared killed after a landslide in northern Myanmar engulfed jade miners while they were sleeping, local police said Tuesday, the latest deadly accident in a notoriously dangerous industry.

Dozens die each year in landslides caused by jade mining, a notoriously corrupt and poorly regulated industry concentrated near the country's border with China.

Local police described a freak accident in Kachin state on Monday night so big it created a huge "mud lake" that buried the miners as well as some 40 vehicles.

(Twitter)
(Twitter)

23 Apr 2019, 5:34 PM

Nine youths held for bid to trigger communal clash Nagapattinam

Nine youths have been arrested on charges of spreading derogatory messages about a particular community through WhatsApp and other social media portals, police said on Tuesday.

The youths, belonging to another community, had convened a meeting at a village near Porayar in the district on April 21 to discuss about a clash between two communities in Ariyalur district during the general elections, they said.

"We received complaints that they (the youths) had recorded derogatory messages related to the other community and spread them through the social media," Superintendent of Police C Vijayakumar told reporters here.

23 Apr 2019, 5:31 PM

US sanctions over Iran oil will 'intensify Mideast turmoil' warns China

China warned on Tuesday that the US decision to impose sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil will "intensify turmoil" in the Middle East and in the international energy market.

The White House announced Monday it was calling an end to six-month waivers that had exempted several countries -- including major importer China -- from unilateral US sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

"China firmly opposes the US implementation of unilateral sanctions and its so-called long-armed jurisdiction," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing.


23 Apr 2019, 5:06 PM

Sri Lanka attacks: Mass funerals held as nation mourns

The first mass funerals were held on Tuesday as Sri Lanka marks a day of mourning for the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 321 people.

The mass funeral was held at the St Sebastian's church in Negombo, north of Colombo, which was one of the places targeted in the deadly suicide blasts, local media reported.

The funerals were held at the damaged church in western Sri Lanka, where as many as 100 parishioners were killed by a suicide bomber, it said.

Earlier, a moment of silence was observed, reflecting the time the first of six bombs detonated.

23 Apr 2019, 5:02 PM

Nepal's President to start nine-day visit to China

Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari will be on a nine-day visit to China from Friday, during which she will address the second international meeting on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of President Xi Jinping to consolidate Beijing's influence abroad.

Bhandari, who will be leading the Nepali delegation, will also hold bilateral talks with the Chinese President followed by signing of agreements in various areas.

The multi-billion-dollar BRI was started in 2013 and envisages massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects across 65 countries from Asia to Europe and Africa that collectively account for 30 per cent of global GDP.


23 Apr 2019, 4:57 PM

CCTV footage of suspected suicide bomber of Easter Sunday blast released

CCTV footage of suspected suicide bomber (carrying a backpack) walking into St Sebastian church on Easter Sunday was released by Sri Lankan Officials

23 Apr 2019, 4:31 PM

More than 50 feared killed in landslide at Myanmar jade mine: police

Dozens are feared dead after a landslide in northern Myanmar's Kachin state engulfed jade miners while they were sleeping, local police said on Tuesday, the latest accident in a notoriously dangerous industry.

"Fifty-four people are missing in the mud," a duty officer from the Hpakant police station in Kachin told AFP, adding that "there's no way they (the missing) could have survived."


23 Apr 2019, 4:30 PM

Two Muslim brothers were Sri Lanka hotel suicide bombers: sources

Muslim brothers carried out two of the hotel suicide blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, part of a wave of bombings that killed more than 320 people, police sources told AFP on Tuesday.

The brothers, sons of a wealthy Colombo spice trader, blew themselves up as guests queued for breakfast at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the capital, the source said.

The sources also revealed that a fourth hotel was targeted in the string of bombings, but the attack failed.

The brothers, whose names have not been revealed, were in their late twenties and operated their own "family cell", an investigation officer said.

23 Apr 2019, 4:27 PM

Islamic State claims responsibility for Sri Lanka bombings through its Amaq news agency

The Islamic State on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that left 321 people dead.

A statement on the Amaq news agency, which the group uses to put out statements, claimed that the attack was the work of "fighters of the Islamic State".

The group did not provide any evidence to support the claim, the Guardian reported.


23 Apr 2019, 4:08 PM

AFP news agency quoting police sources: Fourth planned Sri Lanka hotel attack failed.

23 Apr 2019, 4:01 PM

Sri Lanka puts all police stations in Colombo on high alert following reports of a lorry and van carrying explosives


23 Apr 2019, 4:00 PM

Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo closed until further notice

Shangri-La hotel, Colombo will be closed till further notice, a senior hotel official said on Tuesday, after the five-star property was attacked by a suicide bomber on Easter Sunday that killed unspecified number of guests, including Indians.

Sri Lankan authorities said on Tuesday 321 people were killed and over 500 others injured when suicide bombers attacked three churches and luxury hotels in the country.

"We have decided that the hotel will be closed until further notice," said Mahika Chandrasena, Director of Public Relations at Shangri-La, Colombo.

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm that we are aware of a number of casualties among our guests and colleagues. This includes three of our colleagues who were fatally injured in the course of their duties," the hotel said in a statement.

23 Apr 2019, 3:39 PM

Govt to procure more mine-protected vehicles for paramilitary forces

The government will soon procure mine-protected vehicles for the movement of paramilitary troops in the Naxalism-hit areas and Jammu and Kashmir and remotely operated vehicles to help anti-terror commando force NSG in encounter sites, officials said on Tuesday.

Expenditure sanction for ₹613.96 crore has been issued to paramilitary forces such as CRPF and the BSF for the purchase of additional mine-protected vehicles, bullet-proof jackets, ambulance, etc.

Expenditure sanction for ₹16.84 crore has also been issued to the National Security Guard (NSG) for the purchase of seven remotely operated vehicles, a Home Ministry official said.

The forces such as CRPF uses mine-protected vehicles (MPVs) for limited troop movements in areas affected by Naxalism and in Jammu and Kashmir. About six personnel can travel in one such four-wheeled vehicle.


23 Apr 2019, 3:19 PM

Policeman among two electrocuted to death in J-K's Poonch

Two persons, including a policeman, were electrocuted to death on Tuesday after their houses were hit by a surge of high-voltage current due to a snag in the electricity transformer in their village in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a police official said.

Six other persons suffered minor burn injuries in the incident which took place at Chunga Charan village in Mendhar area around 3 am, the official said.

He said due to the sudden high voltage electricity policeman Faiz Ahmad (40) and his neighbour Mohammad Shabir (38) were killed and six others injured.

The injured were discharged from the hospital after first aid, the official said.

23 Apr 2019, 3:14 PM

45 children among those killed in Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday bombings

UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac says 45 children among those killed in Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday bombings reported Reuters.


23 Apr 2019, 2:48 PM

Two more from Karnataka confirmed dead in Lanka blasts

The agonizing pain and wait for over 48 hours finally came to an end for the family of 37-year-old Puttaraju, a JD(S) worker, with the High Commission of India in Colombo on Tuesday confirming his death in the multiple blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.

"We just got to know about his death, Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs Minister) has tweeted. Finally we have heard what we were suspecting," a friend of Puttaraju's brother Rudresh said.

"It was a long wait... While those with him (Puttaraju) were declared dead and their bodies have been traced, we had not got any information about his status," he said, adding he was unable to speak further.

23 Apr 2019, 2:45 PM

Don't link us with Sri Lankan group: TN outfit

A senior leader of the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) on Tuesday dubbed as "media terrorism" a report linking it with a similar Sri Lankan group which has been blamed for the suicide bombings that killed 310 people in the island nation.

"Just because we have the word Thowheed in our name, a media report linked our organisation with the outfit suspected to have carried out the Easter Sunday carnage," said Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath Vice President B. Abdul Rahman.

"The word Thowheed in Arabic means one god or monotheism. Even people can have it as their name. Ours is a social welfare organisation with about 10 lakh disciplined members," said Rahman.


23 Apr 2019, 2:01 PM

Sri Lankan terror attacks a retaliation for the mosque attacks in New Zealand: state def. minister informs Parliament

Sri Lanka's worst terror attack targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday was carried out by the local Islamic extremists in retaliation for the mosque attacks in New Zealand, a senior minister informed Parliament on Tuesday, citing the initial probe result.

Sri Lanka's state minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene said in an address to Parliament that the early findings of the ongoing probe found that the suicide bombings were in revenge for the deadly shootings at two mosques in Christchurch just weeks ago which left 50 people dead.

23 Apr 2019, 2:01 PM

Publicising military action escalates conflict: ex-NSA

Cross-border military action that is made public necessarily provokes the other side to respond, leading to escalation of conflict between two countries, according to former National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon.

Speaking at a panel on Monday during the launch of a book on ceasefire violations -- "Line on Fire" -- by JNU Professor Happymon Jacob, Menon said that "if the goal (of military action) is to assert moral ascendancy, or grab land, or whatever, it is best done quietly".

"The moment it's done publicly, you're forcing the other side to respond, and to be seen to respond. They have no choice..either they deny, or they're seen by their people. You're then climbing on an escalation ladder by just going public," the Indian diplomat said. "Since we've been going public recently, it automatically becomes politicised," he added.


23 Apr 2019, 1:38 PM

India must keep buying oil from Iran: CPI-M

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Tuesday urged the government to keep buying oil from Iran despite US threats to impose sanctions on any country which does so.

The CPI-M said it condemned the decision of the US government to impose sanctions on any country which purchases oil from Iran.

23 Apr 2019, 1:33 PM

Bilkis Bano case: Gujarat govt informs SC that action has been taken against erring police officials


23 Apr 2019, 1:32 PM

Sri Lankan government apologises for failure to act on intelligence tip off

The Sri Lankan government has apologised for its failure to act despite receiving advance intelligence inputs about the possibility of terror attacks that rocked the island nation on Easter on Sunday, killing 310 people.

A series of eight coordinated blasts ripped through three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists and left 500 people injured in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war ended in 2009.

Government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said that the warnings about the blasts were received in the days before the attacks, the CNN reported.

"We saw the warnings and we saw the details given," he said. "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," Senaratne, also the health minister, said.

23 Apr 2019, 1:29 PM

Protest over Telangana intermediate board fiasco

Tension prevailed at the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TBIE) for a second consecutive day on Tuesday as students continued their protest over the goof-ups in intermediate examination results.

Dozens of students belonging to various groups were arrested as they tried to stage sit-in in front of TBIE office in Nampally in the heart of the city, demanding justice to students who appeared in 11th and 12th standard examinations.

Professor K. Nageshwar Rao, a former legislator who reached the TBIE office to express solidarity with the protesting students, was also arrested. He demanded immediate action against those responsible for lapses in the results.


23 Apr 2019, 1:26 PM

Former ISI chief Durrani appeals against Pak Army's decision forfeiting his pension

Pakistani spy agency ISI's ex-chief Lt Gen (retd.) Asad Durrani has appealed to the high court against Pakistan Army's decision of forfeiting his pension and other benefits after he was found guilty of violating the military code of conduct for co-authoring a controversial book with India's former intelligence head.

Durrani, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from August 1990 till March 1992, is not entitled to pension and other benefits after the Pakistan Army in February found him guilty following a Court of Inquiry against him over the book 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' that he co-authored with former RAW chief AS Dulat.

23 Apr 2019, 1:21 PM

SC directs Gujarat govt to pay compensation of ₹50 lakh to Bilkis Bano

2002 Gujarat riots case: Supreme Court today directed the Gujarat government to pay a compensation of ₹50 lakh to gangrape survivour Bilkis Bano. Supreme Court also directed the Gujarat Government to provide Bilkis Bano, a government job and accommodation as per rules.


23 Apr 2019, 1:08 PM

Congress hits out at Modi govt over US decision to end Iran oil waivers

The Congress on Tuesday hit out at the government over the US decision of not renewing its waiver that let countries like India buy Iranian oil without facing sanctions, saying it is a "diplomatic and economic failure" of the Modi dispensation.

The opposition party also alleged that Prime Minister Modi has directed oil companies not to increase the prices of petrol and diesel till May 23 so that he can "garner votes".

The Trump administration on Monday decided not to renew the waiver that let countries import Iranian oil without facing US sanctions.

"Crude oil prices are touching the sky -- highest in six months. The Rupee has tumbled to the ground, $1=₹69.61. The US has put sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

23 Apr 2019, 12:59 PM

MDMK Chief Vaiko: The Churches which were targeted were mostly situated in Tamil areas, therefore many Tamilians have also died

MDMK Chief Vaiko: The Churches which were targeted were mostly situated in Tamil areas, therefore many Tamilians have also died. I demand strict action against the perpetrators. I urge the world and India to come forward and help those affected.


23 Apr 2019, 12:57 PM

HC seeks response on posting law officers in Delhi jails

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi Government to file a response on a plea seeking appointment of law officers in all jails in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani asked the Delhi Government and Director General of Prisons to file a reply and listed the matter for further hearing on August 29.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation moved by advocate Amit Sahni who has sought directions to Delhi Government to ensure compliance of Section 6 of the Delhi Prison Act, 2000, by appointing one law officer for every jail in Delhi.

23 Apr 2019, 12:55 PM

10 DDCA directors want chief axed, to meet on May 1

Ten of the 15 Board of Directors of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) have signed a resolution for the withdrawal of all powers of association President Rajat Sharma. These 10 members are Vinod Tihara, Rajan Manchanda, Renu Khanna, Sanjay Bhardwaj, Alok Mittal, Apurv Gupta, S.N. Sharma, Sudhir Agarwal, Rakesh Bansal and Nitin Gupta.

In the resolution, the 10 directors have said that all day-to-day functioning powers of Sharma be withdrawn and future decisions be taken by the apex council. Former cricketer and now member of the BoD Sanjay Bhardwaj said that a meeting would be called on May 1 to ratify the same.


23 Apr 2019, 12:52 PM

Luxembourg's Grand Duke Jean dies at 98 reports Reuters

23 Apr 2019, 12:18 PM

Unidentified gunmen shot dead policeman escorting polio team in Pak

Unidentified gunmen shot dead a policeman escorting a team of polio workers in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, a day after a nationwide campaign was launched against the crippling disease still endemic in the country.

Several school students in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province reportedly fell ill and were taken to hospital on Monday after being given anti-polio drops during a country-wide campaign aimed to administer anti-polio drops to 39 million children under five years of age.

On early Tuesday morning, the unknown gunmen opened fire at Assistant Sub Inspector of police Imran Khan who was escorting a polio team, police said.


23 Apr 2019, 12:06 PM

Oil supply to Indian refineries is adequate: Government

The government has worked out a contingency plan to ensure that there is adequate supply of crude oil to Indian oil refineries from May onwards when the US lifts the waivers from its Iran sanctions given earlier to major oil importing countries, including India.

"The government of India has put in place a robust plan to ensure that there is adequate supply of crude oil to Indian oil refineries from May 2019 onwards. There will be additional supplies from other major oil producing countries from different parts of the world," a Petroleum Ministry statement said on Tuesday.

"The Indian refineries are fully prepared without any problem to meet the national demand for petrol, diesel and other petroleum products in the country."

23 Apr 2019, 11:58 AM

Sri Lankan Police holding Syrian national in custody over attacks: Report

Sri Lankan police are holding a Syrian national in custody for questioning over the attacks, reported Reuters quoting sources.


23 Apr 2019, 11:58 AM

Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka announces two more deaths

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka announced on Tuesday that two more Indians had been killed in the multiple bomb blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Sunday. This takes the total number of Indians killed in the tragedy to 10. The embassy identified the two as A Maregowda and Mr. H Puttaraju.

23 Apr 2019, 11:56 AM

New IRA, dissident republican group takes responsibility for killing Northern Irish journalist Lyra Mckee

Dissident republican group the New IRA today admitted responsibility for killing Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee during rioting in Londonderry last week reports The Quint.


23 Apr 2019, 11:50 AM

ICICI-Videocon case: ED summons Chanda Kochhar, husband at Delhi

The ED has summoned former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar next week in connection with a money laundering case related to a bank loan fraud, officials said.

They said while Chanda has been summoned for May 3, Deepak and his brother Rajiv have been asked to depose on April 30 before the investigating officer of the case and record their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).  The summons were served to them last week, they added.

They are required to assist the IO in taking the probe forward, they said, adding the three have been asked to bring certain documents related to their personal and official finances.  They have been questioned in the past too at the Enforcement Directorate office in Mumbai after the central agency conducted raids in this case on March 1.

23 Apr 2019, 11:31 AM

6.6-magnitude quake hits southern Philippines

A 6.4-magnitude tremor struck the southern Philippines on Tuesday, US geologists said, just a day after a deadly quake that rocked the country's north.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake hit near Tutubigan, which is hundreds of kilometres south of the quake that hit near Manila. USGS downgraded the magnitude of the fresh quake after initially recording it at 6.6.


23 Apr 2019, 11:21 AM

Top Myanmar court rejects appeal of award-winning Reuters reporters

Myanmar's Supreme Court rejected the latest appeal on Tuesday by two Pulitzer-prize winning Reuters journalists who were jailed for seven years on charges linked to their reporting on the Rohingya crisis, as hopes now turn to a presidential pardon.

Reporters Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, have been behind bars since their arrest in December 2017 under the Official Secrets Act.

They were convicted of possessing classified documents relating to security operations in Rakhine during a brutal military crackdown against the Rohingya that forced some 740,000 to flee over the border into Bangladesh.

23 Apr 2019, 10:39 AM

Sri Lanka's health minister reveals government warned about attacks on April 4

Sri Lanka's health minister has revealed that parts of the government were warned on April 4 of a potential attack.


23 Apr 2019, 10:28 AM

Suspicious abandoned parcel found in Colombo

A suspicious abandoned parcel was found at the Kollupitiya railway station in the Sri Lankan capital on Tuesday.

Police evacuated and cordoned off the area as the bomb disposal squad reached the scene, Xinhua news agency reported.

23 Apr 2019, 10:27 AM

Sri Lanka observes nationwide silence

Sri Lankans observed a nationwide three-minute silence on Tuesday to remember the victims of the deadly blasts which rocked the island nation on Easter Sunday.

Services across the country came to a halt as all citizens observed the silence from 8.30 a.m. to 8.33 a.m., Xinhua news agency reported.

A series of explosions hit churches and hotels in three Sri Lankan cities on the Easter day killing 310 people and injuring over 500.


23 Apr 2019, 10:24 AM

N Korea confirms Kim 'soon' to visit Russia: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will "soon" visit Russia for his first summit with President Vladimir Putin, state media has reported, confirming a Kremlin announcement.

Kim "will soon pay a visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation" of Putin, North Korea's official KCNA news service said.

"They will have talks during this visit," the brief dispatch added.

The KCNA did not specify when or where the pair would meet.

The Kremlin said last week that the pair would meet in Russia "in the second half of April" but provided no further details.

23 Apr 2019, 10:23 AM

Sri Lanka never expected bombings of such magnitude: Defence Secretary

The Sri Lankan government never expected the Easter Sunday bombings of such magnitude, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said on Tuesday and asserted that it would have been "impossible" to protect a large number of churches in the country despite receiving prior intelligence about the attacks which killed 290 people, including 8 Indians.

Seven suicide bombers believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, in the country's worst terror attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, but police have arrested 24 people - mostly members of an Islamist extremist group - in connection with the blasts that also killed 31 foreigners, including eight Indian nationals.


23 Apr 2019, 10:19 AM

Naxals triggered IED near Bandarchua area at Jharkhand -Chhattisgarh border, today; no casualty reported

23 Apr 2019, 9:59 AM

Death toll reaches 310, reported Al Jazeera

The death toll from Sri Lanka's Easter on Sunday bombings has now reached 310 with several people succumbing to their injuries, according to a police spokesperson.

Around 500 people were wounded in the blasts, Ruwan Gunasekera said in a statement.

He added that 40 people were now under arrest in connection with the attacks.

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