Sri Lanka: Churches suspend Sunday mass because of security concerns

Only the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, held a special mass from a church near his house that was broadcast live across local television and radio. The mass was attended by the president, the prime minister and the leader of Opposition.

Sri Lanka has been on high alert since the attacks on Easter Sunday, with nearly 10,000 soldiers deployed across the island to carry out searches and hunt down members of two local Islamist groups believed to have carried out the attack.

Authorities have detained over 100 people since the bombings in three churches and four hotels, most of which were in the capital Colombo.

Meanwhile, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa thanked India for the help in uncovering the plot behind the terrorist attacks but said he did not want any foreign forces such as India's National Security Guard on the island.

“India has been helpful. But there is no need for the NSG to come in," Rajapaksa told a television channel.

"We don't need foreign soldiers. Our forces are capable enough… (We) just need to give them powers and freedom,” he said.

India had earlier shared intelligence inputs about the Islamic State’s plans in Sri Lanka.

He blamed President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the defence minister and in charge of national police, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, for the blasts.

“They are busy playing politics at the cost of national security. Everyone knew about the growth of radicalism. They were worried about votes and their vote bank and did not act," Rajapaksa said.

Wickremesinghe has expressed regret over the lapse on the part of the government, On Saturday, he said that he did not receive the critical information prior to the attack.

“While I reiterate the fact that I did not receive this information prior to the attack, I do not run away from my responsibility. As Prime Minister, I share in the collective responsibility,” he said.

He stressed the need for new laws to fight terror.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the government is in the process of assessing the damage caused to the economy, industry, financial and banking sector and to tourism from the Easter Sunday terrorist attack,

He said if there was a 10 per cent drop in tourist arrival, the financial loss would be around Rs.1.5 billion for the year.

Image credit: UNI