Sri Lanka identifies outfit behind blasts; says all suicide bombers Lankan nationals
Colombo: A local outfit identified as the National Tawheed Jamath is suspected of plotting the deadly Easter blasts that killed 290 people and wounded 500 others in the worst terror attack in the country's history, a top Sri Lankan minister said on Monday.
Health Minister and the government spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, also said that all suicide bombers involved in the blasts are believed to be Sri Lankan nationals.
Speaking at a press conference here, the minister said that the Chief of National Intelligence had warned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) regarding the probable attacks before April 11.
"On April 4, international intelligence agencies had warned of these attacks. The IGP was informed on April 9," Senaratne said. He said that the local outfit identified as the National Tawheed Jamath is suspected of plotting the deadly explosions.
"There may be international links to them," he added. Senaratne sought resignation of police chief Pujith Jayasundera in view of the major security lapse.
Rauff Hakeem, a government minister and the leader of the main Muslim party - Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, said that it was lamentable that no preventive action had been taken despite the inputs.
"They have known this..., the names have been given, identified, but (they) took no action," he added.
Two Sri Lankan Muslim groups - the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama and the National Shoora Council - have condemned the blasts and offered condolences to the Christian community.
They have urged that all culprits be brought to book.
Seven suicide bombers were involved in eight blasts that targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in Negombo and Zeon Church in Batticaloa when the Easter Sunday mass were in progress. The explosions also struck three five-star hotels in Colombo - the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury.
No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, but police have so far arrested 24 people.
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At 2.9 degrees Celsius, Delhi records its coldest morning this season
New Delhi (PTI): Bone-chilling temperatures greeted people on Thursday as the national capital recorded its coldest morning of the season. Safdarjung, the city's primary weather station, recorded its lowest January minimum since 2023 at 2.9 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature had dropped to 1.4 degrees Celsius on January 16, 2023.
Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3 degrees Celsius, while the mercury at Lodhi Road settled at 3.4 degrees Celsius. The Ridge station reported a low of 4.5 degrees Celsius, and Ayanagar logged 2.7 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature recorded at Palam was its lowest since 2010. The second lowest was recorded on January 7, 2013, when the mercury had dropped to 2.6 degrees Celsius.
All weather stations in Delhi recorded temperatures way below the normal, pointing to the persistence of cold wave conditions across the city. The national capital has been reeling under cold wave conditions for the past four days, and it is expected to persist even tomorrow.
The maximum temperature on Thursday is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius.
Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 349, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
