Updated about Sri Lanka | 300 People and 500 Injured in Bloody Terrorist Attack

Explosions in three churches and four hotels in the Asian island state killed nearly 300 people and injured some 500 more

Among the victims were also over 30 foreigners, police said. Initially no one confessed to the incidents, and the government reported seven arrests. So far, there are no indications to affected Austrians, but the situation was confusing, it was said on Sunday from the Foreign Ministry on request. The responsible embassy in India's capital New Delhi is in contact with the authorities in Sri Lanka.

The first six explosions, which occurred between 8:30 and 9:00 am local time, were reported in the churches of St. Anthony in Colombo and St. Sebastian in the Negombo town outside the capital. The third church is located in Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka. At the time, the faithful were celebrating Easter Mass. At around the same time, bombs had blown up in the three five-star hotels Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand, and Kingsbury in Colombo.

St. Anthony's Church, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, is considered the national sanctuary of the Catholics of majority Buddhist Sri Lanka. 6.1 percent of the island's 22 million inhabitants are Catholics.

Dead in two more explosions 

A few hours later, there was another explosion in a hotel in Colombo, where at least two people died according to police. According to a BBC reporter, the bomb in the suburb Dehiwala detonated. An eighth explosion occurred in the afternoon (local time) in a residential area in Dematagoda, another suburb of the country's capital. There, a suicide bomber ripped three policemen to death.

Dozens of aliens among the dead

Sri Lanka's Minister for Economic Reform, Harsha de Silva, wrote on Twitter of numerous victims, including eighteen foreigners - according to hospital information, Americans, British and Dutch. The Portuguese news agency Lusa also reported a Portuguese victim. Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defense issued a twelve-hour, nationwide curfew in response to the series of attacks. Access to social networks and messenger services has also been blocked.

Those responsible have already been identified

According to Deputy Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene, those responsible for the series of attacks have been identified. He spoke at a press conference about a "terrorist incident" and "extremist groups."

Police chief warned against suicide attacks

The police chief of the country had recently warned of possible suicide attacks on churches and on the Indian High Commission by the radical Islamic group NTJ. He relied on information from a "foreign intelligence service". The attacks are the worst since the end of the civil war ten years ago.

Prime Minister: "Condemn the cowardly assassinations"

"I condemn the cowardly assassinations today on our population," wrote Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Twitter. The armed forces and the police would investigate the "conspiracy". He called on all the inhabitants of his country to be united and strong in the face of the tragedy. The spread of speculation and unconfirmed reports must be avoided, the head of government appealed to the population. The government is taking all necessary steps.

Island state popular destination of tourists

The South Asian island state is a popular tourist destination, also for Europeans. Only seven percent in the majority of Buddhist Sri Lanka are Christians. They include members of the Tamil minority and Sinhalese majority.

Civil War ended in 2009

Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war ended in 2009 . The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group fought for an independent Tamil state in the north of the country. The army finally defeated the insurgents with all severity. The United Nations accuses both sides of war crimes.