A foreigner may have planned the Easter Sunday bombings - Sri Lanka's President Sirisena
President Maithripala Sirisena also said it be possible that Daesh has launched a"new strategy" by targeting smaller countries.
The ban on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber has been lifted with immediate effect, the source told Reuters. "The relevant information further notes that persons dressed in military uniforms and using a van could be involved in the attacks."Tourist arrivals in Colombo to drop by 50 percent
Over the weekend, two sources in the president's office told Reuters that Pujith Jayasundara, the police chief during the April 21 attacks, was refusing a request from the president to step down.Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday announced a ban on face covering, a week after terrorists carried out coordinated suicide bombings that killed 253 people.
Muslims in the majority Buddhist nation account for about 10 percent of its 21 million population. Only a small number of women wear the face veil or niqab, as it's known.Sri Lankan armed police on Sunday launched a search of the headquarters of the National Thawheedh Jamaath, suspected of being behind the suicide bombings on churches and hotels that killed more than 250 people.
The bells rang out at 8.45 am, the moment a suicide bomber detonated his device inside the 18th-century church on Easter Sunday, one of six attacks on churches and luxury hotels that left 253 dead. Keuslaus Stanislaus said he had travelled to St Anthony's because he "wanted to participate in a mass in some way".'Insult to humanity'"I come to this church every Sunday. It feels like my second home. It's like people blasted my own home," said Dharshika Fernando, struggling to hold back tears.About an hour after the vigil began, worshippers fell silent as the parish priest walked out to the entrance of the church and held up a statue of St Anthony.
The authorities have blamed the attacks on a local group affiliated to Daesh, which has claimed responsibility.Daesh has claimed responsibility for three men who blew themselves up in clashes with Sri Lankan police, the terror group said in a statement. Security forces armed with emergency powers have stepped up search operations for Islamic extremists since the bombings.
Top Sri Lankan officials have acknowledged that some of the island nation's intelligence units were given advance notice about the attacks — starting weeks ago and up until the morning of the bombings — but that little was done to prevent them.Sri Lanka's president is banning two groups allegedly linked to the Easter bombings under emergency powers that came into effect on Tuesday.
"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals, and other public areas," it said.
The raid took place in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa in search of those responsible for the bombings. Britain advised its citizens against travelling to the island country. Germany issued similar warnings.Sri Lankan police are trying to track down suspects, especially those believed to be linked to the terror group that claimed responsibility for the attacks.
"We are sending a message to extremists that we will not be scared or deterred," said Reyyaz Salley, chairman of the Dawatagaha Jumma mosque. "What intelligence agencies have told me is that Zahran was killed during the Shangri-La attack," President Sirisena told reporters, referring to Zahran Hashim, leader of the local extremist group NTJ.
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