Colombo: Authorities in Sri Lanka continued their search operations with the help of army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the horrific Easter Sunday blasts in which more than 350 people were killed.
The arrested people were being interrogated at length by sleuths in connection with the country’s deadliest attack.
Nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of a local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels.
As many as 359 people have been killed in the attacks, while 500 others were injured, according to authorities.
Officials said that with the arrest of 16 more people on Wednesday, the total number of suspects under police custody has risen to 76.
Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ. However, the group has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State claimed responsibility and identified the suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts.
Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police conduct search operations.
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Over 5,000 army personnel have been deployed around the country.
“During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Air Force and 600 from the Navy,” military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said.
Meanwhile, a minor explosion occurred behind the magistrate’s court at Pugoda, the western province town, 40 km north of Colombo. There was no immediate report of any casualty.
Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and placing road blocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations.
The regulations were adopted without a vote in parliament on Wednesday.
The curfew which was imposed at 10 pm on Wednesday, was lifted at 4 am on Thursday.
President Maithripala Sirisena has convened an all-party meeting. He would meet religious leaders. Both parties are to discuss the attacks dubbed as among the five deadliest terrorist attacks carried out since the 9/11 attack in the US.
Though Sirisena has asked police chief Pujith Jayasundera and defence ministry secretary Hemasiri Fernando to step down, there was no confirmation if they have resigned.
The police chief’s position is an independent post determined by the Constitutional Council. He cannot be constitutionally removed unless he resigns himself or removed thorough a parliamentary procedure, officials said.
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said.
On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that “major” intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks.