290 people were killed on Sunday in Sri Lanka as a result of a wave of bombings. And officials suggest that the incident was carried out with the support of an international network.
National Thowheed Namath is a local jihadist group in Sri Lanka, and although no one is yet to admit to carrying out the bombings, the government has blamed the National Thowheed Jamath.
Since the bombing went off early Sunday morning on Easter day, a reported 500 people have been injured in the suicide attacks on churches and hotels.
24 people have been arrested in a series of raids and a national emergency has been declared by the president’s office.
On Monday, the emergency declaration will come into effect from midnight (19:30 GMT) and will give police and military extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects even without court orders.
On Monday, another bomb blast went off in a street near a church in Colombo, the capital city. Police was attempting to defuse explosives in a vehicle used by the attackers when it blew up. It is not yet known if anyone was hurt.
Rajitha Senaratne, a cabinet Spokesperson said, “We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country.”
“There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.”
A later statement said President Maithripala Sirisena would ask for foreign help to track down the international links to the attackers.
His office also said, “The intelligence reports [indicate] that foreign terrorist organisations are behind the local terrorists. Therefore, the president is to seek the assistance of the foreign countries,”