NEW DELHI: Indian police said on Sunday (Apr 28) that they raided the houses of three suspects in connection with a case concerning 15 people who left India to join the militant Islamic State group, a week after bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 250.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it carried out searches at the three houses in the southern state of Kerala, located near the tip of the Indian peninsula.The coordinated suicide bombings by militants at hotels and churches in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday sent shockwaves through the Indian Ocean island state that had enjoyed relative peace since a civil war ended a decade ago."These persons are suspected to have links with some of the accused persons in the said case who had exited India to join the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish," the NIA said in a statement, using other names by which Islamic State is known.The investigators recovered mobile phones, SIM cards, digital storage devices including CDs and … [Read more...] about Indian police raid houses in southern state a week after Sri Lanka bombings
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Tears and troops as Sri Lanka mourns suicide bomb dead
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s churches remained shut yesterday, forcing Christians to say prayers of grief in private over the Easter suicide attacks that the country’s Roman Catholic leader called “an insult to humanity.” Fearing a repeat of the Easter Sunday bombings of churches and hotels in which 253 people died, the archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, held a private Mass after cancelling all public services. Amid heavy security imposed across the country, a vigil was also held outside St Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo at 8.45am, the moment the bomber struck the church, killing dozens of worshippers. “Today during this Mass we are paying attention to last Sunday’s tragedy and we try to understand it,” the cardinal said at his official residence, where President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were among the small congregation. “We pray that in this country there will be peace and co-existence and … [Read more...] about Tears and troops as Sri Lanka mourns suicide bomb dead
Sri Lanka Catholic cardinal fears attacks probe may ‘flop’
COLOMBO: The head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholics todayexpressed fears that an official investigation into Easter bombings that killed 253 people will end up a “flop”, casting doubt on the government’s ability to bring the attackers to justice. Speaking to reporters at his first public appearance since last week’s attacks on churches and hotels, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith slammed what he described as Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity, saying many high-profile assassinations over the past 30 years had remained largely unsolved. “There is a certain amount of suspicion among our people that there will be no more follow up, only words... If they (the authorities) are sincere, they must have a thorough investigation,” he said. The cardinal said he had heard that President Maithripala Sirisena had appointed a commission of inquiry into the massacre. “But we never heard if that commission had any sittings. Nothing at all, we were never … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka Catholic cardinal fears attacks probe may ‘flop’
News Tears and troops as Sri Lanka mourns suicide bomb dead
COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's churches remained shut Sunday, forcing Christians to say prayers of grief in private over the Easter suicide attacks that the country's Roman Catholic leader called "an insult to humanity". Fearing a repeat of the Easter Sunday bombings of churches and hotels in which 253 people died, the archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, held a private Mass after cancelling all public services. Amid heavy security imposed across the country, a vigil was also held outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo at 8:45 am, the moment the bomber struck the church, killing dozens of worshipers. "Today during this Mass we are paying attention to last Sunday's tragedy and we try to understand it," the cardinal said at his official residence, where President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were among the small congregation. "We pray that in this country there will be peace and co-existence and understanding each other without division," he said. … [Read more...] about News Tears and troops as Sri Lanka mourns suicide bomb dead
Tears and troops on the streets as Sri Lanka mourns suicide bomb dead
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's churches remained shut on Sunday (Apr 28) forcing Christians to say prayers of grief in private over the Easter suicide attacks that the country's Roman Catholic leader called "an insult to humanity".Fearing a repeat of the Easter Sunday bombings of churches and hotels in which 253 people died, the archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, held a private mass after cancelling all public services.Amid heavy security imposed across the country, a vigil was also held outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo at 8.45am, the moment the bomber struck the church, killing dozens of worshippers."Today during this mass we are paying attention to last Sunday's tragedy and we try to understand it," the cardinal said at his official residence, where President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were among the small congregation."We pray that in this country there will be peace and co-existence and understanding each other without division," he … [Read more...] about Tears and troops on the streets as Sri Lanka mourns suicide bomb dead