Isis have just claimed Sunday’s suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, claiming they were the work of “fighters of the Islamic State” via their Amaq news agency. The group did not provide any evidence to support the claim.
Earlier Sri Lankan state defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene on Tuesday said that the Easter Sunday bombings were “retaliation” against the New Zealand mosque attack in Christchurch
The attack last month killed more than 50 people as a gunman live streamed his massacre in a mosque. He added that two domestic Islamist organisations, including National Thaweed Jamaath are responsible for the attacks.
CCTV footage has emerged of a suspected suicide bomber entering St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo moments before an explosion ripped through the building.
In this church, the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, said at least 110 people were killed and was the deadliest of a series of attacks against churches and luxury hotels that left at least 321 people dead.
The footage, broadcast widely on Sri Lankan news channels, tracks the movements of a young bearded man with a backpack, outside and inside the building.
The video stops before the bomb is detonated.
The town, Negombo, is called “Little Rome” for its abundance of churches. On Monday, house after house near St. Sebastian’s flew small white flags, a sign that someone who lived there had died.
At least 321 people were killed in the bombings. Christophe Boulierac, a spokesperson for UNICEF, has said 45 children are amongst those who died in the attack. Sri Lankan authorities say at least 31 foreigners died in the attacks.
The vast majority of the victims were Sri Lankan, many from the island nation’s Christian minority. The foreigners confirmed killed were as follows:
- British authorities know of eight British nationals killed in the bombings.
- The Indian Embassy in Colombo says 10 Indian nationals died in the blasts.
- The State Department says at least four Americans were killed.
- The Bestseller clothing chain confirmed that three of the children of its owner, business tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen, owner amongst other things of Asos, were killed in the attacks.
- Switzerland’s foreign ministry says a Swiss national, a Swiss dual national and a non-Swiss member of the same family were killed.
- Spain’s foreign ministry says a Spanish man and woman were killed.
- Australia’s prime minister says a mother and daughter from that country were killed.
- China’s foreign ministry says one Chinese citizen was killed in the blasts, while five are missing.
- The Netherlands, Japan and Portugal have confirmed their nationals were among the dead.
Via AP/The Guardian/ BBC/Sky News
