Tragedy struck Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday when suicide bombers killed 207 people and injured 450 people in attacks on hotels and churches.
The blasts affected three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa at 8:45 a.m. when worshipers gathered for service. There were four hotel attacks in the nation’s capital, Colombo. The hotels involved were the Shangri-La Hotel, Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Kingsbury Hotel and the New Tropical Inn. An eighth blast occurred in a home.
Additionally, three police officers were killed in a raid on a house in Colombo, as they tried to interrogate a person believed to be involved in the attacks.
The attacks occurred between a small window of time, 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and is the deadliest violence since the country’s civil war ended in 2009.
As of yet, no organized terrorist group has taken responsibility, but Sri Lanka’s defense minister said the country would “take the necessary actions” against “extremist groups.”
Reports of at least three Americans among 30 foreigners killed in the attacks have surfaced. While the death toll is currently at 207, that number may rise with complications from injuries.
Sri Lanka announced a nationwide curfew and blocked the use of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp messages to prevent false news reports from spreading and to investigate the attacks.