Lanka now safe, all extremists linked to Easter bombings killed or arrested: Security authorities
Colombo:All the extremists involved in the Easter suicide bombings are either killed or arrested, Sri Lankan police and military chiefs have claimed, assuring that the country is now safe and can get back to normalcy.
The tri-forces commanders and the police chief, addressing a press conference on Monday night, said the security of the country following the April 21 bombings that left 257 people dead has been ensured with adequate measures and steps have been taken to implement a special security plan.
Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana Wickremaratne said that all those directly linked to the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels have been arrested or were killed.
He also said that all the explosives believed to be linked to National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), blamed for the attacks, have been found.
"All explosives possessed by the terrorist group has been seized. Almost everyone identified with the group have been arrested. Two of their bomb experts have died in the clashes. The police can happily announce that everyone with direct links have been either arrested or killed by now," Wickremaratne said.
Wickramaratne did not say how many people have been arrested over the bombings, but police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera on Monday said that 73 people, including nine women, were arrested and being questioned by the CID and the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID).
The police spokesman also said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) identified more than Rs 140 million cash and other assets worth over Rs 7 billion belonging to the NTJ.
The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, the island nation's worst, but the government blamed ISIS linked local extremist group NTJ.
Wickramaratne, who was named acting police chief last week after President Maithripala Sirisena suspended his predecessor over his failure to act on intellegence warnings about the attacks, said the country can now get back to normalcy with the lifting of curfews imposed after the attacks.
Wickramaratne urged the public not to be misled by unverified reports. The government reopened schools on Monday, but attendance dropped to below 10 per cent in many places with parents still fearing attacks.
Wickremeratne said a joint security operation with schools authorities are underway. He pointed to unverified security fears spread through social media as the cause for unfounded security concerns.
Army chief Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake said the military has taken steps to ensure national security under the emergency regulations. He said that over the past two weeks normalcy was returning to the country and the public must not be misled by false claims.
All security measures to ensure safety in the country has been taken. The security forces were empowered by the emergency regulations since the attacks," Lt Gen Senanayake said.
The Army chief urged the public to return to their day to day activities. The tourism industry leaders have urged the government to make strong measures to enable the industry to revive following the Easter Sunday attacks on three leading hotels.
The suicide bombers attacked breakfast rooms of the Shangri La, The Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury Hotels. The attacks in which 44 foreigners including 11 Indians were killed prompted adverse travel advisories.
At the moment most bookings are cancelled, with less than 10 per cent of occupancy we are in trouble," Hoteliers Association president Sanath Ukawatta said. The government has already decided on a package of concessions to the tourism industry which contributes 5 per cent of the island's GDP.
The Tourism Authority said the total number of tourist arrivals during April was 166,975. This is an year on year decline of 7.5 per cent as the arrivals were 180,429 in April 2018.
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West Asia crisis: MEA establishes control room to assist Indians
New Delhi (PTI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up a control room to assist those affected by the escalating crisis in West Asia.
The MEA has said almost one crore Indian citizens live in West Asia and their safety and well-being is of "utmost priority" for New Delhi.
As the Iran-US conflict widened, the Indian embassy in Iran moved hundreds of Indian students from the Iranian capital of Tehran to safer locations.
"A Control Room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current situation in West Asia and the Gulf region," the MEA said on Wednesday.
"The Control Room can be contacted from 9 am to 9 pm at: 1800118797 (Toll Free) +91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104, +91 11 2301 7905," it added.
The US launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The MEA on Tuesday noted that almost one crore Indian citizens live and work in the Gulf region, and their "safety and well-being is of utmost priority."
"We cannot be impervious to any development that negatively affects them," it said.
The MEA said New Delhi will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and take relevant decisions in the national interest, adding it is in touch with the governments in the region as well as other key partners.
A Special Control Room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current situation in West Asia and the Gulf region. Details are as below ⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 4, 2026
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