[NY-Knux]

Developing story, will update later today.

Explosions have been reported at 3 churches and 3 hotels this Easter in Sri Lanka.

[kellyhound]

At least 50 207 290 253 people were killed and over 450 149 were injured in six explosions, and later 2 more, in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.

Three of the near-simultaneous explosions took place in Catholic churches where Easter services were underway while three other explosions were reported in five star hotels.

The first was reported in a church located in the capital. The other blasts followed within half an hour.

One of the churches targeted was St Anthony's in Colombo. The other two were St Sebastian's in Negombo, 30 kilometres from the capital and another in Batticaloa, 250 kilometres east of the capital.

Police and hospital sources in Batticaloa said that at least 25 deaths were reported from that explosion while 25 people were killed in Colombo.

Officials have not spoken of a terrorist attack, but the blasts appeared to target religious places and the economy, according to initial local media reports.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that the injured were being evacuated while security forces have cordoned off the areas and search operations are underway.

The injured included foreigners staying at the three five-star hotels – the Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Shangri-La in the heart of Colombo.

Security in the capital and the airport has been stepped up following the blasts.

A source in the police bomb squad said that one of the explosions was at St Anthony's Church in Kochcikade, Colombo.

"Our people are engaged in evacuating the casualties," the source said.

Alex Agileson, who was in the vicinity, said buildings in the surrounding area shook with the blast. He said a number of injured were carried in ambulances.

Check your pm box for vid contributions

[Saskdevil]

Honestly was suprised to hear they celebrated Easter there. Wonder what dumb camel fuckers did this one; Sri Lanka has a lot of IS soliders returning. All in all this heart breaking. Mother and fathers, grandparents, children, friends all gathered in there nice church clothes ready to have a great Easter, so many lives changed for every now... :( When are the Catholics supposed to get radical again? Is this the start?

[Saskdevil]

Also if they would have died on Friday, maybe the could have risen from the Dead on Sunday with Jesus..... someone is in trouble for planning that one wrong.

[Saskdevil]

Originally Posted by NY-Knux ↗

Developing story, will update later today.

Explosions have been reported at 3 churches and 3 hotels this Easter in Sri Lanka.

Attachment 842584

Attachment 842585

That's for getting this on here so fast!

[RiversEdge]

madness. I bet it won't be long before some filthy, smelly group takes claim.

[Saskdevil]

Don't think the l9nks are working

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

Contribution to the thread by kellyhound:

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[Saskdevil]

Originally Posted by Saskdevil ↗

Don't think the links are working

[dan-b]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-48001720

At least 137 people have been killed and hundreds more injured in explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, police and hospital sources say.
At least six explosions have been reported. Three churches in Kochchikade, Negombo and Batticaloa were targeted during Easter services.
The Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels, all in Colombo, were also hit.
Easter Sunday is one of the major feasts in the Christian calendar.
No group has yet said it was responsible.
There have been fears that Islamic State group fighters returning from the Middle East could pose a threat in the country.
■ Follow the latest reports from Sri Lanka
What's the latest from the scene?
St Sebastian's church in Negombo was severely damaged. Images on social media showed its inside, with a shattered ceiling and blood on the pews. At least 67 people are reported to have died there.
There were heavy casualties too at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, a district of Colombo.
Among those killed in Colombo were at least nine foreign nationals, hospital sources told the BBC.
Hospital sources in Batticaloa said at least 27 people had died there.
A hotel official at the Cinnamon Grand, near the prime minister's official residence, told AFP the explosion there had ripped through a restaurant, killing at least one person.
No-one was expecting this
BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen at St Anthony's
Rumours have been reported of more attacks and police have told people to stay inside their houses and remain calm. But there is some element of panic.
There is a heavy military presence in front of all major state buildings. No-one was expecting this, it was a peaceful Sunday morning - everyone was going to Easter prayers.
I've spoken to several priests who were in the church and they were really shocked, as were the police officers.
It was a well planned, co-ordinated attack but I spoke to the security chief who was there and officials believe it's too early to say who is behind the attacks.
After the Tamil Tigers were defeated in 2009, Sri Lanka hasn't really seen this kind of incident.
What have officials said?
President Maithripala Sirisena has issued a statement calling for people to remain calm and support the authorities in their investigations.
PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is chairing an emergency meeting. He said: "I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong."
On Twitter, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the attacks appeared to be a "well-co-ordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem and anarchy" and had killed "many innocent people".
Another minister, Harsha de Silva, described "horrible scenes" at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, saying he had seen "many body parts strewn all over".
What's Sri Lanka's recent history?
In the years since the end of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009, there has been some sporadic violence, with members of the majority Buddhist Sinhala community attacking mosques and Muslim-owned properties. That led to a state of emergency being declared in March 2018.
The civil war ended with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, who had fought for 26 years for an independent homeland for the minority ethnic Tamils. The war is thought to have killed between 70,000 and 80,000 people.
Are you in Sri Lanka? Have you been affected by the attacks? Only if it is safe to do so, please contact haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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