#for Sri Lankans it started in 2019 with the Easter Sunday bomb blasts that took out 3 major hotels and 3 churches

[hussyknee]

I saw someone saying that 2012–2017 felt a lot longer than 2017–2022 and holy fuck they're right.

Probably because 2020–2022 has felt like one long never-ending year and it's still not over.

[greek-arete]

Some videos concerning the Sri Lanka terrorist attacks

NYT copy paste article after the cut for those who don’t have a NYT subscription (arrested individuals belonged to a little known group called National Thowheeth Jama’ath):

By The New York Times

April 22, 2019

• The government on Monday blamed a little-known radical Islamist group for the devastating Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed nearly 300 people. Officials said the group, which had not carried out any serious attacks before, had received help from an international terrorist organization.

• Sri Lanka’s security forces were warned at least 10 days before the bombings that the militant group was planning attacks against churches, but apparently took no action against it, indicating a catastrophic intelligence failure. Top government officials say the warning never reached them.

• The Sri Lankan police have arrested 24 people in connection with the explosions at hotels and churches.

• A dusk-to-dawn curfew was implemented for a second night on Monday in Colombo, the capital. And major social media and messaging services, including Facebook and WhatsApp, have been blocked by the government to try to curb the spread of misinformation.

Relatives unloading the coffin on Monday of Sneha Savindi, 11, who was killed in a suicide bombing at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times

Death toll rises to 290

The number killed was lifted significantly overnight, to 290, the police said on Monday, adding that about 500 people had also been wounded in the attacks on sites across the country.

The Sri Lankan tourism minister, John Amaratunga, said that at least 39 foreigners were among the dead. Those countries that have confirmed their citizens were killed include Australia, Britain, China, Japan, Portugal and the United States.

Ruwan Gunasekera, a police spokesman, would not reveal how many people had been killed at each location.

The identities of the victims have started to emerge. These are their stories.

More explosions rocked parts of the country on Monday, and while no new casualties were reported, the blasts racked already strained nerves.

In one case, it appeared that a bomb detonated while the police were trying to defuse or move it, near one of the churches that was hit on Sunday. Smaller blasts were reported that may have resulted from the police intentionally detonating suspicious packages.

This advisory sent by a police official alerted security officials about a threat to churches from a radical Islamist group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath. Government officials have blamed the attack on the group.

A warning went unheeded

Ten days before the bombings, a top Sri Lankan police official warned the security services that a radical Islamist group was planning suicide attacks against churches, but no action was taken against the group. It was unclear what other precautions, if any, the security agencies had taken in response to the threat warnings.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday that neither he nor his cabinet ministers had been informed of the warning, highlighting the power struggle between him and President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the defense minister. Late last year, the feud led, for a time, to there being two officials claiming to be the rightful prime minister.

The apparent intelligence failure and the breakdown of communication within the government are likely to prompt political recriminations and attract attention in investigations into the attacks.

At a news conference on Monday, the health minister, Rajitha Senaratne, said there had been a warning as early as April 4, reiterating that the prime minister and his allies had been “completely blind on the situation.” He noted the lack of cooperation within the government, saying that when the prime minister attempted recently to call a security council meeting, members of the panel refused to attend.

An April 11 letter from the police official not only named the group believed to be planning an attack, National Thowheeth Jama’ath, but also named individual members, and even gave addresses where they could be found.

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The information was supplied by “foreign intelligence,” the letter said, but it did not specify from which country or countries.

“We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said on Sunday.

[Look at images from the devastation of the Easter Sunday attacks, and see how the country is mourning.]

Sri Lanka Bombing Maps: What We Know About the Attack Sites

The attacks struck churches, five-star hotels and other sites in multiple cities.

Who are National Thowheeth Jama’ath?

Officials on Monday said a little-known Islamist group that promotes a terrorist ideology in South Asia was responsible for the attacks.

The group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath, had a reputation for vandalizing Buddhist statues but little history of carrying out terrorist attacks.

Rajitha Senaratne, the health minister, called the group “a local organization” and said the suicide bombers appeared to be Sri Lankan citizens. “All are locals,” he said at a news conference on Monday.

But, he added, “there was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.”

In a news release, Mr. Sirisena, the president, said that, according to Sri Lanka’s intelligence agencies, “there are international terrorist organizations behind these incidents.”

No one has publicly claimed responsibility for the bombings.

A forensic analysis of body parts found at six sites determined that seven suicide bombers conducted attacks at three churches and three hotels, according to The Associated Press. Most attacks were carried out by lone bombers, but two men targeted the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. Two other bombings at a guesthouse and at the suspects’ apparent safe house remain under investigation.

Sri Lanka does not have much history of Islamist terrorism. The country is predominantly Buddhist, with significant Hindu, Muslim and Christian minorities.

From 1983 to 2009, separatists from the Tamil ethnic group, which is mostly Hindu, fought a civil war against the government, dominated by the Sinhalese ethnic majority, most of whom are Buddhist.

[Read more about the radical group accused of carrying out the bombings in Sri Lanka.]

Security officers inspected the debris of a car that exploded as the police tried to defuse a bomb near St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo on Monday.CreditJewel Samad/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The bombs hinted at a worrying level of expertise

Whoever designed the suicide vests used in the blasts showed considerable competence, a fact that is certain to worry law enforcement agencies, said Scott Stewart, vice president for tactical analysis at Stratfor, a geopolitical consulting firm based in Austin, Tex.

When small, homegrown extremist groups use explosives, they often start with a series of failures. Some bombs fail to detonate completely, and others explode early, late, or not at all.

But in the Sri Lanka attack, it appears that all seven suicide vests detonated and did heavy damage, Mr. Stewart said, indicating skill at making bombs and manually activated detonators, and suggesting access to a large supply of military-grade high explosives.

“You don’t do that by accident, so they must have a fairly decent logistics network and funding,” he added.

But Joshua A. Geltzer, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said he would not be surprised if a small group had been able to stage the attack without direct help.

“There is so, so much instruction and guidance available on the open internet these days, not to mention whatever is circulating on encrypted chat groups, widely available in terrorist circles if not totally public,” he said.

Unexploded bombs, apparently not designed for suicide attacks, were found in other public places in Sri Lanka. That suggests that the bomb maker (or makers) was less expert at detonation using timers or remote control, Mr. Stewart said.

Two men inspect damage from the roof of a restaurant at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo on Monday.CreditJewel Samad/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

U.S. warns of additional attacks

The State Department said that terrorist groups “continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka” and raised its travel advisory to warn visitors to the country about potential threats.

It said terrorists could attack “with little or no warning,” and listed several potential targets, including tourist spots, transportation centers, markets, malls, government offices, hotels and places of worship.

The travel advisory level was raised to “exercise increased caution,” the second-lowest of four levels. It had previously been at the lowest level, “exercise normal precautions.”

The advisory gave no specific details about any groups that could be planning attacks or about who might be responsible for Sunday’s violence.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia also raised its advisory level and urged travelers on Monday to “reconsider your need” to go to Sri Lanka.

Personal belongings at St. Sebastian’s Church on Monday.CreditAthit Perawongmetha/Reuters

Government responds with a curfew, a social media blackout, and more

Sri Lankan officials took a series of extraordinary steps in an effort to keep control of their shaken country, aiming to prevent further extremist attacks and retaliatory violence.

Mr. Sirisena, the president, said the government had given additional powers to the police and security forces to detain and interrogate people, and for the second day in a row, a curfew was imposed, from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.

The government temporarily blocked several networks, including Facebook and Instagram. Users also reported being unable to access the messaging services WhatsApp and Viber.

Though Sunday’s attacks have no known link to social media, Sri Lanka has a troubled history with violence incited on the platforms. The ban was an extraordinary step that reflected growing global concerns about social media.

Mr. Sirisena appointed a three-person panel to investigate the bombings, headed by a Supreme Court justice, Vijith Malalgoda.

The president also directed the authorities to increase security around churches and other potential targets.

Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar in 2017.CreditAdam Dean for The New York Times

Religious persecution and conflict rise in Asia

The bombings in Sri Lanka underlined the rise of intolerance and violence across the region, based at least partly on religion and often feeding on government rhetoric.

Perhaps the worst example has been the persecution in Myanmar of the Rohingya Muslim minority by the government and by members of the Buddhist majority, especially since 2016. Thousands of Rohingya have died and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.

In Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and elsewhere, politicians have increasingly made appeals to sectarian resentment, and tolerated their political allies’ calls for violence.

On Easter Sunday in 2016, a suicide bomber killed more than 70 peoplein a busy park in Lahore, Pakistan. A splinter group of the Taliban claimed responsibility, saying it had specifically targeted Christians.

Last May, suicide bombers struck three churches in Surabaya, Indonesia, killing 28 people, and in January, two bombs ripped through a cathedral in the Philippines, leaving 20 dead. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Reporting was contributed by Russell Goldman, Austin Ramzy and Sandra E. Garcia.

[presssorg]

Sri Lanka has partially lifted an overnight curfew after an upsurge in anti-Muslim violence

Sri Lanka vows 'maximum force' against anti-Muslim rioters Sri Lanka has partially lifted an overnight curfew imposed nationwide after an upsurge in anti-Muslim violence, three weeks after the deadly Easter Sunday bombings. The curfew in the North-Western province will remain until further notice, police said. Mosques and Muslim-owned shops have been vandalised or set on fire, and one Muslim man has been slashed to death. In several towns, police fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse mobs. Tensions have been high since Islamist militants attacked churches and hotels on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people. In a televised address, Police Chief Chandana Wickramaratne warned that officers would respond to rioters with maximum force. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also appealed for calm in the early hours of Monday, saying the current unrest was hampering the investigation into last month's attacks. Muslims make up nearly 10% of Sri Lanka's 22 million people, who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists.

How did the violence unfold?

The unrest was centred on three districts north of the capital, Colombo. In the north-western town of Kiniyama, windows and doors to a mosque were smashed and copies of the Koran thrown on the floor. The attack was triggered by a group of people demanding a search of the building after soldiers inspected a lake nearby looking for weapons, Reuters news agency reports. In the Catholic-majority town of Chilaw, Muslim-owned shops and mosques were attacked after a dispute that started on Facebook, police said. A 38-year-old Muslim businessman identified as the author of the post that sparked the violence was arrested. A man died from stab wounds after a mob attacked his business in Puttalam District, also in Sri Lanka's north-west. "Mobs had attacked him with sharp weapons at his carpentry workshop," a police official told AFP news agency. "This is the first death from the riots." Incidents were also reported in the town of Hettipola, where at least three shops were reportedly torched.

How has the government responded?

NEGOMBO, SRI LANKA - APRIL 23: Coffins are carried to a grave during a mass funeral at St Sebastian Church on April 23, 2019 in Negombo, Sri Lanka. At least 311 people were killed with hundreds more injured after coordinated attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday rocked three churches and three luxury hotels in and around Colombo as well as at Batticaloa in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities declared a state of emergency on Monday as police arrested 24 people so far in connection with the suicide bombs, which injured at least 500 people as the blasts took place at churches in Colombo city as well as neighboring towns and hotels, including the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) The government says that security forces have restored calm to streets in the areas affected by violence and insist officers are preventing revenge attacks on Muslims. "What we want to say is that the government is very determined to control this and from tonight onwards it shall be completely controlled," Shiral Lakthilaka, an adviser to the president, told the BBC. Leaders from across the political spectrum have been pleading for calm and urging people not to share rumours via social media. Officials have blocked some social media platforms and messaging apps, including Facebook and Whatsapp, in an attempt to curb outbreaks of unrest. "I appeal to all citizens to remain calm and not be swayed by false information. Security forces are working tirelessly to apprehend terrorists and ensure the security of the country," the prime minister tweeted on Monday. Nevertheless, there is concern among some Muslims that their fears about retaliatory violence were not acted on soon enough. One Muslim businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC he feared for his safety. "We can see many places where the curfew has been announced. The army is on the streets with guns, but they don't take any action against the violence," he said.

What happened on Easter Sunday?

On Sunday 21 April six near-simultaneous suicide bombs exploded at hotels and churches across the country. Hours later, two more bombs were detonated, with fewer casualties, as police closed in on those behind the bombings. On Sunday 21 April six near-simultaneous suicide bombs exploded at hotels and churches across the country. Hours later, two more bombs were detonated, with fewer casualties, as police closed in on those behind the bombings. More than 250 people were killed in the wave of the attacks which stunned the world and the country - Sri Lanka was weeks away from marking 10 years of relative peace since the end of its brutal civil war. Police have blamed two local Islamist groups for the Easter Sunday bombings and dozens of arrests have been made in the weeks since. The Islamic State group has said it was involved but has given no details. Published at Tue, 14 May 2019 03:19:31 +0000 Read the full article

[uphir2017-blog]

Sri Lanka emergency law bans face coverings today

By: Jean Audrey -01043170021

A relative of Easter Sunday bomb blast victim lights a candle on the wall of St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 28, 2019. Sri Lanka's Catholics celebrated Sunday Mass in their homes by a televised broadcast as churches across the island nation shut over fears of militant attacks, a week after the Islamic State-claimed Easter suicide bombings killed over 250 people. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

(AP,Reuters,The independent) Sri Lankans woke to emergency law on Tuesday as authorities searched for those behind suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 290 people at the weekend, with the focus turning to militants with links to foreign groups, one of this emergency law is to ban face veils wore usually by Muslim women.

On April 21th right on Easter Day, three Christian churches across Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings, many were killed and heavily wounded in the attack. 

A few days after it happened, the government of Sri Lanka stated that muslim women will no longer be able to veil their faces under the emergency law ordered by President Maithripala Sirisena that bans all kinds of face coverings that may conceal people’s identities.

Muslim women in Sri Lanka will no longer be able to veil their faces under an emergency law ordered by President Maithripala Sirisena that bans all kinds of face coverings that may conceal people’s identities. The decision came after the Cabinet had proposed laws on face veils at a recent meeting. It had deferred the matter until talks with Islamic clerics could be held, on the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Indonesian Muslim student shows solidarity with victims of Sri Lankan bombings ( AFP/Getty Images )

A week after the attack on Easter Sunday, the country's Catholic churches remained closed because of security fears. 

“This is a time our hearts are tested by the great destruction that took place last Sunday,” Mr Ranjith told those watching across the nation. “This is a time questions such as, does God truly love us, does he have compassion towards us, can arise in human hearts.” Authorities have banned NTJ over its ties to Mohammed Zahran, the alleged mastermind of the attacks which also left hundreds wounded. Zahran and others wearing masks, had pledged their loyalty to Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the attacks.Later, an officer dispersed journalists waiting outside, saying authorities were conducting a “cordon and search operation.”Police then left, locking up the mosque just before afternoon prayers were to start.

sources: 

1.AP - https://www.apnews.com/46ca1b3a0a0f4239b90dc29088b8868e

2. The independent - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/sri-lanka-attacks-latest-burqa-ban-face-veil-muslim-women-emergency-law-easter-sunday-bombings-a8890541.html

3.Reuters -https://www.reuters.com/article/sri-lanka-blasts/sri-lanka-wakes-to-emergency-law-after-easter-bombing-attacks-idUSL3N2250PQ

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/who-are-the-victims/

Who are the victims?

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption A spate of attacks has claimed hundreds of victims across Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is in shock after a wave of bombings targeting churches and hotels left at least 321 people dead and about 500 injured. Churches were hit during Easter Sunday services in the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa.

Most of those killed are Sri Lankan nationals, but officials say at least 38 foreigners are among the dead – including British, Indian, Danish, Dutch, Swiss, Spanish, US, Australian and Turkish nationals.

The government temporarily restricted some social media networks to try to halt the spread of misinformation, so details were initially slow to emerge.

But this is what we know so far about those who lost their lives.

Shantha Mayadunne, a Sri Lankan celebrity chef, and her daughter Nisanga

One of the first victims to have been identified was Sri Lankan celebrity chef Shantha Mayadunne.

Her daughter Nisanga Mayadunne had posted a picture of the family having breakfast in the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo shortly before the explosion there.

One of their family members later posted on Facebook confirming that both Shantha and Nisanga had died, saying “no words can describe the pain”.

Five members of the same family in Negombo

Rangana Fernando, his wife Danadiri and their three children all died in the attack on St Sebastian’s church in Negombo, north of the capital.

Skip Twitter post by @yogital

A beautiful family lost in the violence of Easter Sunday. Rangana Fernando, his wife Danadiri, 6 yr old daughter Biola, 4 yr old daughter Leona and eleven month old son Seth, pictured here on Seth’s baptism. Today is their funeral. Unimaginable grief here in Negombo. #srilanka pic.twitter.com/I8UezkdA77

— Yogita Limaye (@yogital) April 23, 2019

End of Twitter post by @yogital

“Farewell Danadiri and family, we will remember you all in our prayers,” read a tribute from her colleagues.

“She was a dedicated and diligent worker, but above all a kind and caring soul. She will be dearly missed.”

The couple’s eldest child Biola (below, third from right) was six, Leona four and Seth just 11 months.

Unicef says at least 45 of those who lost their lives in the attacks were children.

Four Sri Lankan servers at the Cinnamon Grand hotel

Four Sri Lankan staff members at the Taprobane restaurant in the Cinnamon Grand hotel died in the attacks.

“It was a busy morning. It’s Sunday morning during buffet breakfast so it’s one of our busiest periods,” the Cinnamon Grand hotel spokesman told the BBC.

“They were servers at the restaurant. One of them was working at the live food stations making hoppers [a Sri Lankan pancake].”

They have been identified only as Shantha, Sanjeewani, Ibrahim and Nisthar.

Three staff members at the Shangri-La

The Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo announced in a Facebook statement that three of its staff were “fatally injured in the course of their duties”.

No further details are known so far.

A rickshaw driver, his wife and her mother

Tyronne Gulding, 56, went to Easter mass with his wife, Gayani Fernando, and his mother-in-law Mary Anaslyn Silva.

All three died in the blast at St Sebastian’s church in Negombo. A neighbour who was with them and survived says they were standing very close to the person believed to have detonated the bomb, but did not see his face.

Tyronne’s friends say they called him Sana. He drove an auto-rickshaw and ran his business from outside Negombo hospital. His wife was unemployed and mostly took care of her mother and 18-year-old son.

He did not attend the mass with them as he had gone for midnight vigil the previous night.

Asos billionaire’s children

Three children of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen died in the attacks, a spokesman has confirmed to the BBC. The company was unable to reveal any more details at this time and asked for the family’s privacy to be respected.

One of his children had four days ago posted a picture on Instagram that was geo-tagged Sri Lanka.

Mr Povlsen, 46, owns the Bestseller clothing chain and is the largest stakeholder in the hugely popular online retailer Asos.

Eight British nationals

Image caption Anita Nicholson and her children Alex and Annabel died in the Shangri-La hotel bombing

The deaths of eight Britons were confirmed by the UK’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, James Dauris.

Three members of one family were among the victims.

Anita Nicolson, her 14-year-old son Alex and 11-year-old daughter Annabel were killed in the restaurant of the Shangri-La Hotel.

Her husband, Ben Nicholson, who survived, paid tribute to his “wonderful, perfect wife” and “amazing children” who “shared with their mother the priceless ability to light up any room they entered”.

Brother and sister Daniel and Amelie Linsey, 19 and 15, who were at college and school in London, also died while on holiday. Their father has described his attempts to save their lives.

Two other Britons who have been named include former firefighter Bill Harrop and his wife, Dr Sally Bradley, from Manchester, who had been living in Australia and were also on holiday. They were described as “soulmates” and much-loved and respected colleagues.

Ten Indians, including seven from a political party

Ten Indian nationals, some of whom were political party workers from Bangalore, died in the bombings at the Shangri-La.

The party workers have been identified as KG Hanumantharayappa, M Rangappa, KM Laxminarayan, Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh, H Shivakumar, A Maregowda and H Puttaraju. They were all members of the Janata Dal Secular (JDS).

The JDS workers were on holiday in Sri Lanka after polling for the Indian general elections ended in the state on 18 April.

The chief minister of the Indian state of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswami said in a tweet that he had known some of the party workers personally, adding that he was “deeply pained”.

The Indian High Commission also identified two more Indian nationals as Vemurai Tulsiram and SR Nagaraj.

Another Indian, Razeena Khader Kukkady was killed in the same blast.

The 58-year-old, who was originally from Kerala, lived in Dubai with her husband but travelled to Colombo to meet her relatives.

He left for Dubai on Sunday morning and she was due to leave Colombo on a later flight on the same day.

“He had left by the morning flight and she had finished her breakfast when the blast took place. We are all in a state of shock,” Usman Kukkady, her brother-in-law, told BBC Hindi.

Turkish engineers Serhan Selcuk Narici and Yigit Ali Cavus

Two Turkish nationals were killed, state news agency Anadolu reported.

Engineer Serhan Selcuk Narici moved to Colombo in March 2017, according to his Facebook profile.

His father, Baba Memhet Narici, told Anadolu that his son was an electrical engineer. He had last been doing some work at the US embassy building in Sri Lanka.

“He sent me a WhatsApp message this morning at 5am saying ‘Good Morning'”, said Mr Narici. “That was the last I heard from him.”

The other victim – Yigit Ali Cavus – was also an engineer.

“He was a brilliant child. He graduated with honours from the Istanbul Technical University and spoke two languages,” said his father.

It is not yet clear where they were when the attacks took place.

Australian mother and daughter

Image copyright Facebook/Lucien Pereira

Image caption The mother and daughter attended church every Sunday at St Sebastian

An Australian mother and her 10-year-old daughter were killed during the Easter Sunday service at St Sebastian Church, in Negombo city.

Manik Suriaaratchi and daughter Alexandria attended the church every Sunday, along with her husband Sudesh Kolonne. He had just walked out of church ahead of them when the bomb went off.

“I heard a huge noise… I saw my daughter on the floor and I tried to lift her up, [but] she was already dead. And [then]… next my wife is there,” Mr Kolonne told ABC news.

The family had moved from Melbourne to Sri Lanka in 2014 after Ms Suriaaratchi started a business in the country.

The grandson of a Bangladeshi politician

The grandson of Bangladeshi MP Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim was killed in the attacks.

Mr Selim’s grandson – who is himself a prominent member of the Awami League political party – died in an explosion in the hotel where the family was staying, according to local media reports. It is not clear which hotel this was.

Mr Selim’s personal assistant told the Dhaka Tribune that the boy’s father was also injured in the blast.

Rui Lucas, Portuguese electrical engineer

Rui Lucas was on honeymoon with his wife, Portuguese media report. They had been married just over a week.

Mr Lucas, believed to be in his early 30s, died in the attack on the Kingsbury Hotel, where the newlyweds were staying. His wife survived the attack.

He has been described by one of his colleagues as “a person with a huge heart, a great friend”, Portugal’s publico.pt website reports.

Monique Allen, Dutch national

Image copyright Courtesy of Lewis family

Image caption Monique Allen was on holiday with her family in Sri Lanka

Monique Allen was on holiday with her three sons and husband Lewis when the Cinnamon Grand hotel was bombed.

She was having breakfast downstairs with one of her sons. Her husband and two of her other sons were in their room. The rest of her family members survived the attack.

“My son and my wife were sitting right next to each other [when] the explosion happened,” Mr Allen told the BBC.

“[He] blacked out for a few minutes and he woke up and saw his mother with a big head wound and lots of blood.”

Mr Lewis found his son injured at his hospital and only later found his wife when he checked the mortuary.

“[At the mortuary] they were pulling back sheet after sheet. I was praying let that not be Monique,” he said.

“Then they lifted the sheet on one and that was my wife there… she was the best wife and the best mother.”

‘I was praying let that not be Monique’

Sri Lanka faces scrutiny over bomb warnings

Two other Dutch nationals also died – a woman aged 48 and her daughter aged 12 who had dual nationality, reports say. It is not clear where they were killed.

Kaori Takahashi, mother of two

Ms Takahashi, 39, had been living in Sri Lanka with her husband and two young children.

He is a chef in the city and the family were having breakfast at one of the hotels targeted. Her husband is among four Japanese citizens injured in the blasts, officials say.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported Ms Takahashi had been due to return to Japan in May.

Dieter Kowalski from the US state of Colorado

Forty-year-old Dieter Kowalski, a Denver resident, was in Sri Lanka on a work trip. On Friday, he had posted on Facebook: “And the fun begins. Love these work trips. 24 hours of flying. See you soon Sri Lanka!”

Mr Kowalski worked for Pearson, an education management company, as a senior technical operations lead. The company confirmed to NBC News on Monday that Mr Kowalski had been killed shortly after he arrived at the Cinnamon Grand hotel.

“Colleagues who knew Dieter well talk about how much fun he was to be around, how big-hearted and full-spirited he was,” Pearson chief executive John Fallon wrote in a letter to employees.

Mr Kowalski’s brother, Derrick, also shared on Facebook: “We have all lost a brother today.”

The US Department of State has confirmed at least four Americans were killed in the blasts.

A Washington DC elementary school student

Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa, a fifth grade student at the prestigious Sidwell Friends school in Washington, was another American killed.

Kieran had been on leave for the year in Sri Lanka, the Washington Post reported.

“Kieran was passionate about learning, he adored his friends, and he was incredibly excited about returning to Sidwell Friends this coming school year,” the school said in a letter to families.

Two Saudi nationals

The Saudi embassy in Sri Lanka named two citizens who were killed in the bomb attacks but gave few other details.In a Twitter post on 23 April, the embassy named the two victims as Ahmed Zain al-Jaafari and Hani Majed Othman.The embassy offered its prayers for the victims and their families and to the government and people of Sri Lanka.Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s national airline said two of its crew members were unaccounted for, and that one had been admitted to hospital with minor injuries.

The statement did not mention the nationalities of the missing and injured or where they were at the time of the blasts. Other reports said the crew members had been staying at the Cinnamon Grand hotel at the time of the attacks.

A Spanish couple

Two Spaniards from Galicia lost their lives. Maria Gonzalez Vicente, 32, was visiting her boyfriend, Alberto Chaves, 31, who was working for a frozen food firm in India and was on holiday at the Kingsbury hotel in Colombo.

Two Swiss nationals

Switzerland said two of its citizens, one with dual nationality, had died in the attacks.

It did not name them or say in which of the blasts they died.

One Chinese national

China’s embassy said one Chinese national had been killed, five others were wounded and five were missing after the attacks.

[whittlebaggett8]

2 Arrested After Clash in Sri Lanka Town Hit by Easter Blast

On Sunday night, typically Catholic attackers stoned and vandalized Muslim-owned stores.

By Eranga Jayawardena for The Diplomat

Could 07, 2019

Two folks were being arrested right after mobs attacked Muslim-owned retailers and vehicles in a Sri Lankan town exactly where a suicide bombing qualified a Catholic church on Easter, law enforcement claimed Monday.

Inhabitants of the seaside town of Negombo reported the primarily Catholic attackers stoned and vandalized shops on Sunday evening. It was unclear how the dispute started, but some citizens stated a personal dispute took a spiritual change. Law enforcement imposed a curfew.

The clash was the to start with reported due to the fact the Easter bombings of churches and resorts by attackers who had pledged support for the Islamic Point out team. Much more than 250 folks have been killed.

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Armed service spokesman Sumith Atapattu stated numerous men and women were being injured in the clashes in Negombo, wherever St. Sebastian’s Church was focused on Easter.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara mentioned on Monday that the curfew was lifted right after the violence was brought below manage and two people have been arrested.

Gunasekara also said that investigators have identified $800,000 in money and lender accounts and a further $40 million in other assets these types of as land, properties, jewelry and vehicles belonging to the extremist team blamed for the assault. All of the belongings have been frozen, he said.

He said police are investigating the supply of the belongings.

A point out of emergency has been in area considering the fact that the Easter suicide bombings, with warnings that more attacks are achievable. Catholic churches had been closed for a next weekend, and some Muslims have been subjected to hate feedback on social media.

The governing administration blocked some social media web pages overnight, together with Fb and WhatsApp, “in purchase to control the situation,” info division director Nalaka Kaluwewa claimed.

A.M. Jeffry, a Muslim resident of Porutota village close to Negombo, stated the attackers burned a three-wheel taxi and a motorbike.

Rizwan Jeffry, a gem-vendor who is not associated, said about 400 men and women rampaging in the streets attacked his store. Some took treasured stones kept in showcases, he reported.

Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Muslim clerics frequented the location on Monday to appeal for peace.

“I talk to the Catholics from within this mosque not to elevate your arms against Muslims,” he stated at a meeting at the Poruthota Mosque.

“They are not liable for what occurred, the Muslim religion is a religion of peace and we will hardly ever be against you,” he mentioned.

The cardinal again castigated the governing administration for not exploring Negombo totally for all those accountable for the attacks regardless of his recurring requests.

Ethnic clashes are not new to Sri Lanka. A civil war concerning rebels from the minority Tamil local community and the Buddhist Sinhalese-vast majority government finished in 2009.

Most of Sri Lanka’s the greater part ethnic Sinhalese are Buddhists, but Negombo has a greater part Sinhalese Catholic neighborhood.

By Eranga Jayawardena for the Connected Push.

Connected Push writers Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi in Colombo contributed to this report.

The post 2 Arrested After Clash in Sri Lanka Town Hit by Easter Blast appeared first on Defence Online.

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[7newx1]

The bodies of 15 people, including six children, were discovered at the site of a fierce overnight gun battle on the east coast of Sri Lanka, a military spokesman said on Saturday, six days after suicide bombers killed more than 250 people. The shootout between troops and suspected Islamist militants erupted on Friday evening in Sainthamaruthu in Ampara, to the south of the town of Batticaloa, site of one of the Easter Sunday blasts at three churches and four luxury hotels. A police spokesman said that three suspected suicide bombers were among the 15 dead after the shoot out. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said in a statement that as troops headed towards the safe house three explosions were triggered and gunfire began. "Troops retaliated and raided the safe house where a large cache of explosives had been stored," he said in a statement. Sri Lankan police and army soldiers secure the site after the explosion and a gunbattle in Kalmunai, in eastern Sri Lanka Credit: Achala Upendra/AP He said the militants were suspected members of the National Thowheed Jama'at (NTJ), which has been blamed for last Sunday's attacks. Mohamed Saleem, President of Jamiathul Ulema, a governing Muslim body, told the Telegraph: “The house had been rented out to two men from Kathankudy on the 16th of April. "It was rented out by two men who claimed that they were planning to start a business in the area. Four days after they rented the place, more than two people started moving in. The landlord and the neighbours became suspicious when a larger crowd moved in and they started moving boxes in and out of the house in a van. The landlord, mosque authorities and  local residents then complained to the police, according to Mr Saleem. On Friday, four mosque officials, the village leader and the landlord visited and demanded to search the house where the terrorists were staying. The men initially refused saying there were women in the house, then pulled out a AK47 rifle and shot up in the air, trying to frighten them away. He then took stacks of money, all in 5,000 Rupee bundles, screaming at them to take it. As they landlord and others ran for cover there was another explosion and the military arrived and there was a shootout.  Earlier, detectives had found explosives, drones and an Islamic State group banner and robes used in a propaganda video recorded before the bombers detonated in crowded hotels and restaurants. The bombers filmed themselves swearing allegiance to Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (Isil) before they killed 253 Christians, hotels guests and staff. The clashes on Friday came as the country remained on high alert and thousands of extra security forces had been drafted onto the streets. Sri Lankan authorities also said the extremist preacher suspected of masterminding and leading the bombings died in the blast at the Shangri La hotel, where British victims died. The interior of St Anthony's Shrine five days after a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday Credit:  AFP Mohamed Zahran, the leader of the local jihadi group National Thowheed Jamath, known for his incendiary speeches on social media, was one of the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks on three hotels and three churches, the police said on an official Twitter account. Detectives had also arrested the group's second-in-command and said the militants' military training was provided by “Army Mohideen” and weapons training had taken place overseas and at some locations in Sri Lanka’s Eastern province.  Maithripala Sirisena, the president, said the group was driven by “religious fanaticism,” suggesting its leader had killed himself to “set an example” and gain more followers. However, Chula Senaviratne, the national security chief, said there was “still ambiguity whether he is dead or not” while DNA tests are being carried out. Members of the public join in an interfaith candlelight vigil during a Mass of Remembrance  Credit:  BIANCA DEMARCHI/REX “There is strong likelihood that the decapitated head of the suicide bomber at Shangri La was the same person we identified in the photographs...” he added. “However, we cannot be absolutely certain.” Sri Lankan officials have made claims and counterclaims in the chaotic aftermath of Sunday’s atrocities as security forces rush to detain suspects and the government reels from failures to act on warnings that bombings were imminent. Security agencies are also trying to track down hauls of explosives, some of which may have been left over from Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war. President Sirisena told reporters in Colombo that some 140 people had been been identified as having links to the Islamic State group, although he reassured the public that the Sri Lankan government has “the capability to completely control ISIS activities”. The government has apologised for its failure to act on precise and repeated alerts from India that named suspects planning to attack local churches. Sri Lanka's Catholic leader said he felt “betrayed” by the failure to act on warnings that could have prevented the bloodshed. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, said he had asked for an explanation, but not received an answer. olice officers patrol the area around Dawatagaha Jumma Masjid ahead of Friday prayers Credit: Carl Court/Getty As fears of retaliation or follow-up attacks continued, Muslims were asked to stay at home to pray rather than attend Friday prayers in mosques that could also be targeted by extremists. The Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that seven suicide bombers carried out the attacks, including Adbul Lathief Jameel Mohammed who studied engineering for a year in the UK. They said all the bombers came from a middle-class, educated background. In new details that emerged on Friday, the police said that the attackers had worked out at a local gym and by playing soccer using their authentic national identity cards. They added that the vehicles used in the attack were purchased from a car dealership in Kadawatha, a suburb of the capital. They said that the operator of a copper factory who was arrested in connection with the bombings had helped Mohideen make improvised explosive devices and purchase empty cartridges sold by the Sri Lankan military as scrap copper. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the prime minister, has said investigators are still working to determine the extent of the bombers’ foreign links.

[kansascityhappenings]

Officials said Sri Lanka failed to heed warnings of attacks

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan officials failed to heed warnings from intelligence agencies about the threat of an attack by a domestic radical Muslim group that officials blame for Easter Sunday bombings which killed more than 200 people, the country’s health minister said Monday.

The coordinated bombings that ripped through churches and luxury hotels were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a militant group named National Thowfeek Jamaath, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said.

International intelligence agencies warned of the attacks several times starting April 4, Senaratne said. On April 9, the defense ministry wrote to the police chief with intelligence that included the group’s name, he said. On April 11, police wrote to the heads of security of the judiciary and diplomatic security division, Senaratne said.

It was not immediately clear what action, if any, was taken in response. Authorities said little was known about the group except that its name had appeared in intelligence reports.

Shortly after Senaratne spoke to reporters, a van parked near one of the bombed churches, St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, exploded, sending pedestrians fleeing in panic. While inspecting it, police found three bombs they attempted to defuse but that instead detonated. No injuries were reported.

Also on Monday, police found 87 detonators near Colombo’s main bus depot, officials said. They declined to comment on whether they were linked to Sunday’s attacks.

Because of political dysfunction within the government, Seranatne said, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet were kept in the dark about the intelligence until after the attacks.

President Maithrela Sirisena, who was out of the country at the time of the attacks, ousted Wickremesinghe in late October and dissolved the Cabinet. The Supreme Court eventually reversed his actions, but the prime minister has not been allowed into meetings of the Security Council since October.

All of the bombers were Sri Lankan citizens, but authorities suspect foreign links, Senaratne said.

Earlier, Ariyananda Welianga, a government forensic crime investigator, said an analysis of the attackers’ body parts made clear that they were suicide bombers. He said most of the attacks were carried out by individual bombers, with two at Colombo’s Shangri-La Hotel.

The bombings, Sri Lanka’s deadliest violence since a devastating civil war that ended a decade ago, killed at least 290 people with more than 500 wounded, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Two other government ministers also alluded to intelligence failures. Telecommunications Minister Harin Fernando tweeted: “Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. Serious action needs to be taken as to why this warning was ignored.” He said his father had heard of a possible attack as well and had warned him not to enter popular churches.

Mano Ganeshan, the minister for national integration, said his ministry’s security officers had been warned by their division about the possibility that two suicide bombers would target politicians.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, said the attacks could have been thwarted.

“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.

Earlier, Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena described the blasts as a terrorist attack by religious extremists, and police said 13 suspects had been arrested, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

In the civil war, the Tamil Tigers, a powerful rebel army known for its use of suicide bombers, was crushed by the government in 2009, and had little history of targeting Christians. While anti-Muslim bigotry has swept the island in recent years, fed by Buddhist nationalists, the island also has no history of violent Muslim militants. The country’s small Christian community has seen only scattered incidents of harassment in recent years.

The explosions — mostly in or around Colombo, the capital — collapsed ceilings and blew out windows, killing worshippers and hotel guests in one scene after another of smoke, soot, blood, broken glass, screams and wailing alarms.

A morgue worker in the town of Negombo, outside Colombo, where St. Sebastian’s Church was targeted, said many bodies were hard to identify because of the extent of the injuries. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

Nilantha Lakmal, a 41-year-old businessman in Negombo, went with his family to St. Sebastian’s for Easter Mass. He said they all escaped the blast unscathed, but he remains haunted by images of bodies being taken from the sanctuary and tossed into a truck.

At the Shangri-La Hotel, a witness said “people were being dragged out” after the blast.

“There was blood everywhere,” said Bhanuka Harischandra, a 24-year-old from Colombo and founder of a tech marketing company. He was heading to the hotel for a meeting when it was bombed. “People didn’t know what was going on. It was panic mode,” he said.

Most of those killed were Sri Lankans. But the three bombed hotels and one of the churches, St. Anthony’s Shrine, are frequented by foreign tourists, and the ministry of tourism said 39 foreigners from a variety of countries were killed.

The U.S. said “several” Americans were among the dead, while Britain, India, China, Japan and Portugal said they, too, lost citizens.

The streets were largely deserted Monday afternoon, with most shops closed and a heavy deployment of soldiers and police. Stunned clergy and onlookers gathered at St. Anthony’s Shrine, looking past the soldiers to the stricken church.

The Sri Lankan government initially lifted a curfew that had been imposed during the night but reinstated it Monday afternoon. Most social media remained blocked Monday after officials said they needed to curtail the spread of false information and ease tension in the country of about 21 million people.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said he feared the massacre could trigger instability, and vowed to “vest all necessary powers with the defense forces” to take action against those responsible.

The scale of the bloodshed recalled the worst days of the civil war, when the Tamil Tigers, from the ethnic Tamil minority, sought independence from the Sinhalese-dominated country. The Sinhalese are largely Buddhist. The Tamils are Hindu, Muslim and Christian.

Sri Lanka, off the southern tip of India, is about 70% Buddhist. In recent years, tensions have been running high between hard-line Buddhist monks and Muslims.

Two Muslim groups in Sri Lanka condemned the church attacks, as did countries around the world, and Pope Francis expressed condolences at the end of his traditional Easter Sunday blessing in Rome.

Six nearly simultaneous blasts took place in the morning at the shrine and the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels in Colombo, as well as at two churches outside Colombo.

A few hours later, two more blasts occurred just outside Colombo, one at a guesthouse where two people were killed, the other near an overpass, Atapattu said.

Also, three police officers were killed during a search at a suspected safe house on the outskirts of Colombo when its occupants apparently detonated explosives to prevent arrest, authorities said.

Authorities said a large bomb had been found and defused late Sunday on an access road to the international airport.

Air Force Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said Monday that authorities found a pipe bomb filled with 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives. It was large enough to have caused damage in a 400-meter (400-yard) radius, he said.

Harischandra, who witnessed the attack at the Shangri-La Hotel, said there was “a lot of tension” after the bombings, but added, “We’ve been through these kinds of situations before.”

He said Sri Lankans are “an amazing bunch” and noted that his social media feed was flooded with photos of people standing in long lines to give blood.

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[kansascityhappenings]

Easter Sunday blasts kill at least 207 in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — At least 207 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in eight bomb blasts that rocked churches and luxury hotels in or near Sri Lanka’s capital on Easter Sunday — the deadliest violence the South Asian island country has seen since a bloody civil war ended a decade ago.

Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena described the bombings as a terrorist attack by religious extremists and said seven suspects had been arrested, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Wijewardena said most of the blasts were believed to have been suicide attacks.

The explosions collapsed ceilings and blew out windows, and the dead included worshippers and hotel guests. People were seen carrying the wounded out of blood-spattered pews.

The three bombed hotels and one of the churches, St. Anthony’s Shrine, are frequented by foreign tourists, and Sri Lanka’s foreign secretary said the bodies of at least 27 foreigners were recovered. Sri Lankan TV said the dead included people from Belgium, China, Britain and the U.S.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the violence could trigger instability in Sri Lanka, a country of about 21 million people, and he vowed the government will “vest all necessary powers with the defense forces” to take action against those responsible for the massacre, “regardless of their stature.” The government imposed a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The scale of the bloodshed recalled the worst days of the nation’s 26-year civil war, in which the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group from the ethnic Tamil minority, sought independence from Sri Lanka, a Buddhist-majority country. During the war, the Tigers and other rebels carried out a multitude of bombings.

The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka’s government to “mercilessly” punish those responsible “because only animals can behave like that.”

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said 207 people were killed and 450 wounded.

The first six blasts Sunday morning took place nearly simultaneously at St. Anthony’s Shrine, a Catholic church in Colombo, and three hotels in the city. The two other explosions occurred after a lull of a few hours at St. Sebastian Catholic church in Negombo, a majority Catholic town north of Colombo, and at the Protestant Zion church in the eastern town of Batticaloa.

Three police officers were killed while conducting a search at a suspected safe house in Dematagoda, on the outskirts of Colombo. The occupants of the safe house apparently detonated explosives to prevent arrest, Wijewardena said.

Countries around the world condemned the attacks, and Pope Francis expressed condolences at the end of his traditional Easter Sunday blessing in Rome.

“I want to express my loving closeness to the Christian community, targeted while they were gathered in prayer, and all the victims of such cruel violence,” Francis said.

Sri Lanka, a small island nation at the southern tip of India, has a long history with Christianity. Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas the Apostle visited Sri Lanka and southern India in the decades after the death of Christ. The majority of the island’s Christians are Roman Catholic.

Local TV showed damage at the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels. The Shangri-La’s second-floor restaurant was gutted, with the ceiling and windows blown out. Loose wires hung and tables were overturned in the blackened space. From outside the police cordon, three bodies could be seen covered in white sheets.

Foreign tourists hurriedly took to their cellphones to text family and loved ones around the world that they were OK.

One group was on a 15-day tour of the tropical island nation, seeing such sites as huge Buddhist monuments, tea plantations, jungle eco-lodges and sandy beaches. The tour was supposed to end in Colombo, but tour operators said the group may skip the capital in light of the attacks. The tour started last week in Negombo, where one of the blasts struck.

“Having experienced the open and welcoming Sri Lanka during my last week traveling through the country, I had a sense that the country was turning the corner, and in particular those in the tourism industry were hopeful for the future,” said Peter Kelson, a technology manager from Sydney.

“Apart from the tragedy of the immediate victims of the bombings, I worry that these terrible events will set the country back significantly.”

Sri Lankan security forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009. The United Nations initially estimated the death toll from the civil war at 100,000, but a U.N. expert panel later said some 45,000 ethnic Tamils may have been killed in the last months of the fighting alone. Both sides were accused of grave human rights violations.

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