Attacks in Sri Lanka. The death toll rises further to 359 dead

The death toll of the attacks perpetrated on Sunday against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, which the Islamic State (IS) group claimed, rose to 359 dead, a police spokesman said on Wednesday April 24, without more details.

A spokesman for the Sri Lankan police announced this Wednesday, April 24 that the number of victims of the attacks on churches and hotels perpetrated this Sunday has further increased .

The attacks, claimed by the Islamic State group , killed 359 people, one of the deadliest attacks since September 11, 2001. A previous toll reported 321 dead and around 500 injured . Contrary to what had been announced Sunday by the Sri Lankan government, there are no French among the victims .

For New Zealand, no correlation between Christchurch and the Sri Lankan attacks

Secretary of State for Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said on Tuesday the attacks were apparently aimed at avenging the massacre last month against two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

A spokeswoman for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday, April 24 in a statement that New Zealand did not currently have any evidence to establish a correlation between the Christchurch shooting and the attacks in Sri Lanka.

17 new arrests

Local authorities have attributed the bloodbath to the local Islamist movement National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), which has not claimed it, and are investigating whether it has received international logistical support.

Sri Lankan police arrested new people overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, in addition to the 40 previously arrested. “We carried out operations in three locations and arrested 17 suspects,” said spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera. “Another suspect was arrested in another place,” he detailed. In total, police have arrested and jailed 57 people since Sunday.

The security forces “are of the opinion that there are links with abroad” , Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters on Tuesday evening. “We followed this assertion, there were suspicions about links” with the Islamic State group, he continued.

Aishwarya Yogeshwar

Aishwarya Yogeshwar is the visionary founder of CGI Jaffna, a pioneering organization dedicated to fostering innovation and community growth in the Jaffna region. With a deep passion for news publishing, Aishwarya combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a keen interest in delivering impactful and engaging stories. Her commitment to creating a platform for reliable news and meaningful discourse reflects her dedication to empowering communities through knowledge and information. Aishwarya’s leadership and innovative approach make her a driving force in the world of media and communication.

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