24 people arrested in connection with multiple blasts in Sri Lanka
Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 24 people from the minority Muslim community in connection with the multiple blasts that rocked the island nation on Sunday, killing over 290 people.
A string of eight powerful blasts, including suicide attacks, struck churches and luxury hotels frequented by foreigners in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing over 290 people, including five Indians, and shattering a decade of peace in the island nation since the end of the brutal civil war with the LTTE.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the number of arrests on the incidents have now gone up to 24.
However, the government said they will not disclose the details of the suspects involved in the attacks to prevent them from getting publicity.
"Don't give extremists a voice. Don't help to make them martyrs," State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, told reporters when asked for details of those in custody.
Police officials privately said the suspects were all from the minority Muslim community.
Police said the van which had carried explosives to carry out bomb attacks at the three hotels was arrested with its Muslim driver.
A safe house where the bombers had lived for nearly three months leading to the attacks were discovered in the south of Colombo suburb of Panadura.
Sri Lanka Air Force said it found an improvised explosives device along a road leading to the departure terminal at the Colombo international airport Sunday night.
"It was a crude six- foot pipe bomb that was found by the roadside," an air force spokesman said.
"We have removed it and safely defused it at an air force location," he added.
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Bangladesh's ousted PM Sheikh Hasina condemns arrest of Hindu spiritual leader, demands his release
Dhaka, Nov 28: Deposed prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina on Thursday condemned the arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das and said the leader must be released immediately.
Das who was taken into custody earlier this week on sedition charges.
"A top leader of the Sanatan religious community has been unjustly arrested, he must be released immediately," Hasina said in a statement.
"A temple has been burnt in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, churches, monasteries and homes of the Ahmadiyya community were attacked, vandalised and looted and set on fire. Religious freedom and security of life and property of people of all communities should be ensured," the former prime minister said in the statement posted on Awami League's X account.
Hasina fled to India on August 5 following widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system. Three days later, Yunus, a Nobel laureate, took over as the Chief Adviser of the interim government.
Hindu minority groups have been frequently reporting atrocities against their community members in different parts of Bangladesh, even after Yunus took charge.
There are also reports of the rise of extremist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and similar ideological extremist wings.
