Arrests made in Sri Lanka’s Easter attacks that killed at least 290 in eight bombings

The death toll from Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka has risen to at least 290, with at least 500 others injured by a series of eight bombings on April 21, 2019.  

Among those killed were more than three dozen foreigners, including two mainland Chinese nationals.

The international victims include people from Britain, Denmark, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey and the United States.

The series of eight bombings targeted churches, hotels and a house in cities across Sri Lanka, including in the capital Colombo.

Following the incident, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited devastated sites including St Anthony’s Shrine, a Catholic church and tourist landmark.

The government blocked social media in a bid to prevent the spread of misinformation and hate speech.

There are reports that officials had some advance “information” about a possible terror attack on churches.

The Easter bombings were the first major attacks to hit the country since the end of its civil war nearly 10 years ago.