Atleast 207 people have been killed and more than 450 have been injured in a series of coordinated bombing struck several hotels and churches across the land of Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
The victims include citizens from various countries such as America, India, China, Turkey and Portugal.
The first blast took place in St. Anthony’s Shrine at exactly 8:45 a.m while the second blast crushed Shangri-La Hotel’s Table One Restaurant.
A total of three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels were also struck by suicide bombers which were believed to be initiated by a single terrorist group but the police declined to identify it.
Authorities also confirmed that thirteen suspects were already held in connection to the bombings while three officers were killed hunting for the perpetrators.
However, Sri Lankan Minister of Telecommunication Harin Fernando said there was a memo that warned the country of a potential attack and requested to heightened security. The said memo was signed by Sri Lanka’s deputy inspector general of police.
On the other hand, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he was not informed about the memo but promised that he will conduct a thorough investigation.
The country also temporarily blocked the use of social media sites and messaging apps, including Facebook and Instagram to prevent misinformation.
