At least 207 people have been killed and over 450 are injured in a series of coordinated bomb blasts at churches and luxury hotels in the country, police sources said today.
A series of bomb blasts ripped through three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa and three luxury hotels in Colombo early Sunday morning.
Bombs exploded at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Katana, and Zion Church in Batticaloa while hotels Kingsbury, Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grands came under attack.
According to police sources, 27 foreign nationals are among the dead. According to Hospital sources British, Dutch and American citizens had been killed, while British and Japanese nationals are among the injured.
A seventh bomb explosion has been reported at a hotel near the National zoo in Dehiwala this afternoon with police reporting two deaths.
An eighth explosion was reported in a house in Dematagoda. Reports say it was suicide bomber and thatthree people, believed to be security personnel, were killed during a police raid.
The government has imposed a 12-hour curfew from 6 pm Sunday. Schools and universities have been closed and security has been tightened with deployment of Army and Navy troops.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.
