At Least 290 People Killed in Easter Sunday Terrorist Attacks in Sri Lanka

On Easter Sunday April 21, 2019 a group of suicide bombings and bomb explosions including three at Catholic Churches and four hotels in Sri Lanka have left 290 people dead and estimates of 500 people wounded (1). The vast majority of the dead were Sri Lankan citizens with a number of people from China, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States (2). Although not yet confirmed, the bombings are said to have been orchestrated by Islamic Terrorist Group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath (3). Rajitha Senaratne, the Sri Lankan Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, said they had been warned of these incidents and members of this terrorist group “fourteen days” prior (3). Members of the Sri Lankan Parliament are calling for “serious action… to be taken as to why this warning was ignored.” (4). As of now, police have detained at least 24 suspects for questioning (5).

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/asia/sri-lanka-bombings.html?action=click&module=inline&pgtype=Homepage
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sri-lanka-bombings-latest-updates-190421092621543.html
3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/22/sri-lanka-attacks-death-toll-from-bombings-rises-sharply-to-290
4. https://abcnews.go.com/International/sri-lanka-bombings-290-dead-hundreds-injured-church/story?id=62533965
5. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/04/22/sri-lanka-bombings-who-national-thowfeek-jamaath-what-we-know/3536673002/