The Easter Sunday suicide bombings in Sri Lanka were intended as retaliation for last month's attack against Muslims in Christchurch, according to initial investigations by the Sri Lankan government, the deputy defence minister said on Tuesday.
An initial probe into deadly suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka that killed more than 320 people shows it was"retaliation for Christchurch," the country's deputy defence minister said on Tuesday.
Mr Wijewardene said investigations showed that a local group called National Thowheeth Jama'ath was behind the attack and was linked to a little-known radical Islamist group in India. Little is known about JMI, other than reports it was established last year and is affiliated to a similarly named group in Bangladesh.
The silence began at 8.30 am, the time that the first of six bombs detonated on Sunday morning, unleashing carnage at high-end hotels and churches packed with Easter worshippers.Shortly after the silence was observed, a police spokesman said the death toll had risen to 310, with several people dying of their injuries overnight.
Police said that 40 people were now under arrest over the suicide bomb attacks - the worst atrocity since Sri Lanka's civil war ended a decade ago.The attacks were also the worst ever against the country's small Christian minority, who make up just seven per cent of the 21 million population.Tensions remained high and security heavy after a bomb discovered by police on Monday near one of the targeted churches blew up before police could defuse it.
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