A new explosion occurred on Monday in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital.
The explosion allegedly occurred during a demining operation in a van parked near a church hit the day before by a suicide bombing, police said. For the moment no victim is to be deplored.
87 detonators were also found by the police in a bus station in the capital, in an area halfway between luxury hotels on the seafront and the Saint-Antoine church, targets of terrorist attacks.
The Sri Lankan authorities announced the arrest of 24 people and indicated that the American FBI was assisting them in their investigation. Interpol will also deploy a team of investigators. US President Donald Trump on Monday offered his condolences to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and spoke on twitter: ” I spoke this morning to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to inform him that the states “United support him and his country in the fight against terrorism. I also expressed my condolences on my behalf and on behalf of the people of the United States! “
Local authorities attribute this wave of coordinated attacks to the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), a local Islamist group which has not yet claimed responsibility for them.
A state of emergency was quickly declared in the name of “public security” and to strengthen the action of the security forces.
Within hours on Sunday, coordinated bombings brought death to hotels and churches celebrating Easter Mass in several parts of Sri Lanka, which had not seen such an episode of violence since the end of the war. civil ten years ago. This Monday in the streets of the capital, reign fear and sadness. More than 290 people have died in these attacks, and more than 500 are injured.
A person of French nationality among the victims
Among the victims are at least 31 foreigners, including a person of French nationality announced Monday the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Another 14 remain missing and could be among the unidentified victims at the morgue, the ministry added, but local police have put at least 37 foreign fatalities as the process continues. identification of victims is complicated.
Around the city hospital, some residents are still anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.