• Burmese
Monday, June 16, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
31 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Sri Lankans Urged to Avoid Mosques, Churches Amid Fears of More Attacks

Reuters by Reuters
April 26, 2019
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
A security officer stands in front of St. Anthony’s shrine in Colombo, a day after bomb blasts ripped through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka in this photo taken on April 22, 2019. / Reuters

A security officer stands in front of St. Anthony’s shrine in Colombo, a day after bomb blasts ripped through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka in this photo taken on April 22, 2019. / Reuters

4.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

COLOMBO—Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home on Friday and not attend mosques or churches after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence for the Easter Sunday bombings.

The U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centers.

Sri Lanka remains on edge after suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that killed 253 people and wounded about 500. The attacks have been claimed by the extremist Islamic State group.

RelatedPosts

Trump Slaps New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Including Myanmar

Trump Slaps New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Including Myanmar

June 5, 2025
1.4k
US Red-Faced as Contractor Lists Myanmar Resistance Groups in Terrorism Index

US Red-Faced as Contractor Lists Myanmar Resistance Groups in Terrorism Index

December 12, 2023
5.5k
Tears and Trauma as Thai Evacuees Return From Israel

Tears and Trauma as Thai Evacuees Return From Israel

October 13, 2023
257

Nearly 10,000 soldiers are being deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers, the military said on Friday.

Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence has already caused Muslim communities flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps.

The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lanka’s main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home on Friday in case “there is a need to protect family and properties.”

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice.

“Security is important,” he said.

Police have detained least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far.

Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

The Sri Lankan government said there were nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman.

Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups—National Thawheed Jama’ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim—they believe carried out the attacks.

Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks.

The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago.

Sri Lanka’s 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island’s conflict and communal tensions.

Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck.

They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary because there could be more attacks.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: ColomboEaster BombingTerrorism
Reuters

Reuters

...

Similar Picks:

US Red-Faced as Contractor Lists Myanmar Resistance Groups in Terrorism Index
Myanmar’s Crisis & the World

US Red-Faced as Contractor Lists Myanmar Resistance Groups in Terrorism Index

by The Irrawaddy
December 12, 2023
5.5k

State Dept. contractor Development Services Group (DSG)'s inclusion of ethnic armies and PDFs in an annex to a US global...

Read moreDetails
Trump Slaps New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Including Myanmar
World

Trump Slaps New Travel Ban on 12 Countries Including Myanmar

by AFP
June 5, 2025
1.4k

The US president said the move was prompted by an attack on a Colorado rally in support of Israeli hostages,...

Read moreDetails
World

Israel, Gaza Reel as Death Toll Soars Above 1,100 in War With Hamas

by AFP
October 9, 2023
422

Two days after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets and sent a wave of fighters to kill civilians and take...

Read moreDetails
Maj-Gen Maung Maung Soe (front row, at right) / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy   
Burma

Analysis: Sacking of Senior Army Officers Unlikely to Reduce International Pressure over Rakhine

by Moe Myint
June 26, 2018
6.8k

With UN General Assembly looming, calls for sanctions are likely to continue, many local experts and politicians believe.

Read moreDetails
Tears and Trauma as Thai Evacuees Return From Israel
Asia

Tears and Trauma as Thai Evacuees Return From Israel

by AFP
October 13, 2023
257

The first flight of Thais fleeing the Israel-Hamas conflict landed in Bangkok on Thursday carrying 15 evacuees. More flights are...

Read moreDetails
Pa-O Self-Administered Zone chairman U Khun San Lwin (left) welcomes Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday in Naungtaya. / Pa-O Senator's Activities / Facebook
Guest Column

When Ultranationalism Triumphs Over the Truth

by Joe Kumbun
December 18, 2019
9.1k

History shows us that extreme nationalism breeds violence and misery; it must not be allowed to take root in Myanmar.

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun

Tatmadaw Following Rules of Engagement in Rakhine: Spokesman

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang witnessed the MOU signing ceremony in Beijing on April 25, 2019. / Ministry of Foreign Affairs Myanmar / Facebook

Myanmar Signs 3 Agreements at Belt and Road Forum

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

The Hidden Fallout From China’s Cross-Border Crime Crackdown in Myanmar

The Hidden Fallout From China’s Cross-Border Crime Crackdown in Myanmar

1 week ago
1.6k
How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

5 days ago
1.1k

Most Read

  • Sagaing Protesters Condemn Civilian Govt Toll Charges

    Sagaing Protesters Condemn Civilian Govt Toll Charges

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Untested Commander Takes Charge as Myanmar Military Faces Toughest Challenge in Decades

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Is TNLA, Under Chinese Pressure, Conceding Northern Shan Gateway to the Regime?

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Tourism Sector Mocks Junta’s Russia Tourist Drive

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Sagaing Region Braced for Myanmar Junta Airstrikes After Jet Crash

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.