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The Easter Sunday bombings were Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since the country's civil war ended a decade ago. Seven suicide bombers believed to be members of an Islamist extremist group carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing 290 people and wounding 500 others in the country's worst terror attack, authorities said. No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, but police have so far arrested 24 people – mostly members of a same group – in connection with the blasts that also killed six Indian nationals. A look at the sites targeted:
Churches <br /><br /> St. Anthony's Shrine is a Roman Catholic church in the Kochchikade suburb of Colombo and is one of the country's best-known churches. Its roots reach to the 18th century Dutch colonial period, when Catholicism was forbidden and priests held services in secret. Local beliefs say the church's founder, disguised as a merchant, helped a seaside fishing community by praying to stop the sea from eroding their village. The church was later built near the site. (AP Photo) -
St. Sebastian's Church: This Catholic church is in Negombo, a largely Catholic town north of Colombo. Built in the Gothic style, it was patterned on the Reims Cathedral in France and was completed in the 1940s. (Reuters Photo)
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Zion Church: This church is in the eastern coastal city of Batticaloa. It was founded in the 1970s. (Reuters Photo)
Hotels <br /><br /> The Shangri-La Hotel: This towering, luxurious hotel is near Colombo's main business district and is just a few steps from the sea. It has 500 guest rooms and suites and 41 serviced apartments. (AP Photo) -
The Kingsbury Colombo Hotel: This luxury hotel is in Colombo's city center, a few minutes' walk from the Shangri-La. It has 229 rooms. (Reuters Photo)
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The Cinnamon Grand Colombo hotel: This hotel is about a mile (2 kilometers) from the Kingsbury and near the sea in a bustling business district. It has 483 rooms and 18 suites. (Reuters Photo)
Others <br /><br /> Two blasts occurred hours after the initial attacks. A military spokesman said a blast at a guesthouse outside Colombo killed two people, and another blast occurred at an overpass outside Colombo. (Reuters Photo) -
Authorities also said three police officers were killed when occupants of a suspected safehouse detonated explosives to avoid arrest. (Reuters Photo)
Govt extended ITR AY 2025-26 deadline, but only 4.56 crore returns filed so far
