Sri Lanka's Catholic Church televises a private Sunday Mass after cancelling regular services over fears of a repeat of Easter's suicide bombings
A Sri Lankan army soldier stands guard at the entrance to a closed Catholic church in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, May 3, 2019. Sri Lankan Catholics are celebrating Sunday Mass in their homes for a second week as churches remain closed after reports of possible fresh attacks by militants.
"About two motorcycles and a three-wheel taxi had been damaged in the clashes," the police officer told AFP. "We declared a curfew till 7.00 am to contain the unrest."The country's main international airport is located in the area, but police said there was no disruption to airport traffic. "The death toll stands at 257 as of now," Anil Jasinghe, government director general of health services, told"The death toll slowly increased because there were some in-hospital deaths. There are some body parts as well so it is actually 257-plus."According to the latest count, 496 injured were admitted to hospitals, with 47 still being treated and 12 of those in intensive care.
"But we will start with a smaller number of Masses and see if we can slowly increase it depending on how the situation develops," Ranjith said.The Sri Lankan government has lifted a ban on social media platforms intended to stop the spread of rumours after the Easter Sunday bombings, a source from the president's office said on Tuesday.
The militants were targeting five locations for attacks on Sunday just passed or on Monday, security sources said. Sri Lankan Airlines CEO said the state-owned air carrier had a 10 percent increase in cancellations last week and he expects the number to go up.Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Monday he had appointed Chandana Wickramaratne, the second in command of the police, as acting police chief, the latest change in personnel after Easter Sunday suicide bombings.
It came days after local Islamic scholars urged Muslim women not to cover their faces amid fears of a backlash after the bombings carried out by affiliated to Daesh. Zainee Hashim, Rilwan Hashim and their father Mohamed Hashim, who were seen in a video circulating on social media calling for all-out war against non believers, were among 15 killed in a fierce gun battle with the military in the east coast city of KalmunaiNiyaz Sharif, the brother-in-law of Zahran Hashim, the suspected ringleader of the wave of Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 250 people in churches and hotels across the island nation, told Reuters the video showed Zahran Hashim's...
As they prayed and wept -- some in silence, others loudly sobbing, some fingered rosary beads, while others sang hymns and lit candles, placing them inside metal boxes as a makeshift memorial to the victims. With President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse in the small congregation, the cardinal appealed for peace and unity in the multi-ethnic island of 21 million people."What happened last Sunday is a great tragedy, an insult to humanity," the cardinal said, urging followers to show kindness to others as a sign of respect for all the victims.
Security forces armed with emergency powers have stepped up search operations for any militants since the bombings. Top Sri Lankan officials have acknowledged that some of the island nation's intelligence units were given advance notice about the attacks — starting weeks ago and up until the morning of the bombings — but that little was done to prevent them.Sri Lanka's president is banning two groups allegedly linked to the Easter bombings under emergency powers that came into effect on Tuesday.
"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals, and other public areas," it said.
The raid took place in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa in search of those responsible for the bombings. Britain advised its citizens against travelling to the island country. Germany issued similar warnings.Sri Lankan police are trying to track down suspects, especially those believed to be linked to the terror group that claimed responsibility for the attacks.
"We are sending a message to extremists that we will not be scared or deterred," said Reyyaz Salley, chairman of the Dawatagaha Jumma mosque. "What intelligence agencies have told me is that Zahran was killed during the Shangri-La attack," President Sirisena told reporters, referring to Zahran Hashim, leader of the local extremist group NTJ.
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