According to police, the bomb attacks that hit Sri Lanka on Sunday claimed the lives of 290 people, wounding almost 500 others. The explosions targeted churches, where people were gathering for Easter Mass and popular hotels in Colombo.
Sri Lanka Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne stated Monday that the series of deadly explosions across the country was organised by the local group Thowheed Jamath. He also stated that the attacks had been carried out with the help of a vast international network.
“We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country”, the minister said. “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded”.
At the same time, Telecommunications Minister Harin Fernando tweeted an internal police memo from 11 April, warning that the group National Thowheed Jamath planned to bomb Catholic churches and the Indian High Commission.