Sri Lanka serial bombings carrier out with help of international network: Sri Lanka government cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne. Details here

A day after eight coordinated explosions targeted Easter worshippers and high end hotels in Sri Lanka, the country's cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on April 22, 2019, that the Easter Sunday bomb attacks were carried out with the help of an international network.

He said, "We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country. There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded."  

Earlier in the day, Interpol, the Paris-based organisation which facilitates worldwide police cooperation, said it is ready to offer full support to the Sri Lankan authorities in investigating the country's deadliest terror attack that killed 290 people in a series of eight blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in the country.

Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock in a Twitter message said:

Eight coordinated explosions targeted Easter worshippers and high end hotels popular with international guests.

The blasts targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa as the Easter Sunday mass were in progress.

Three explosions were reported from the five-star hotels - the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury. Foreigners and locals who were injured in hotel blasts were admitted to the Colombo General Hospital.

Read: Six Indian Nationals Among 290 Killed In Sri Lanka Serial Blasts

According to the Government Analysts Department, a total of seven suicide bombers carried out the devastating blasts killed 290 people and injured 500 others.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but police on Monday, April 22 arrested 24 people and declined to give further details.

The government has said it will not disclose the details of the suspects involved in the attacks to prevent  them from getting publicity.

(With inputs from agencies)