Suicide bombings struck three churches and three luxury hotels in South Asia island nation’s deadliest violence since civil war ended in 2009
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s president gave the military sweeping police powers starting Tuesday in the wake of the Easter bombings that killed nearly 300 people, while officials disclosed that intelligence agencies had warned weeks ago of the possibility of an attack by the radical Muslim group blamed for the bloodshed.
Adding to the tension, three unexploded bombs blew up Monday inside a van parked near one of the stricken churches as police were trying to defuse them, sending pedestrians fleeing in panic. No injuries were reported. Dozens of detonators were discovered near Colombo’s main bus depot, but officials declined to say whether they were linked to the attacks.
At least two people holding dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship were among the dead, along with other nationals from the U.K., Bangladesh, China, India, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and Australia.
All the bombers were Sri Lankans, but authorities said they strongly suspected foreign links, Senaratne said. Mano Ganeshan, the minister for national integration, said his security officers had been warned by their division about the possibility that two suicide bombers would target politicians.“We placed our hands on our heads when we came to know that these deaths could have been avoided. Why this was not prevented?” he said.
A pipe bomb with 50 kilograms of explosives was found and defused late Sunday on a road to the international airport, said air force Group Capt. Gihan Seneviratne. It was powerful enough to have caused damage in a 400-meter radius, he said.
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