Sri Lanka remains on high alert; warnings of more attacks in Colombo

Anger, fear and grief are high in the air in the island nation. At Negombo, about 37 kilometres from the capital city of Colombo, waves of sorrow struck even on the panes of broken windows and glass,where at least 123 people were killed in the blast at the St Sebastian's church on April 21. Crows come to pick up the pieces of flesh strewn all over and the blood stains spread across the floor. Glass pieces and broken windows lying around the bougainvillea garden is a testimony to the horror.

After three days of mass funerals at a grave near the church, the authorities had to get the bodies of the victims buried at a grave in a nearby village. “This grave is full,” tells a young man who had been witnessing scores of coffins being carried to the nearby grave.

As the mass funerals trigger the anger and nightmare at Negombo, in Colombo, life might appear normal, but security has been tightened around the city. Army and the police roam around the city checking strangers.

The country has been put on high alert. The daily night police curfew continued for the fifth day on Thursday, as the government had specific information on seven more suspects involved in the suicide attacks. Releasing the images of the suspects on Thursday, the police authorities locked down the road to the central bank and to the airport for safety reasons. The authorities also issued a countrywide alert for nine vehicles expected to carry explosives, which were used by the bombers in the Sunday blasts. “We will conduct raids at private places, if necessary. Roads have been blocked and security is tightened,” police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Meanwhile, there are intelligence warnings of further attacks in Colombo. At Pugoda, on the outskirts of Colombo, a bomb went off at a dump yard, without causing fatalities. As the domestic and the international authorities conduct deeper checks and questioning, foreigners in the capital city of Colombo have been picked up by the police for questioning. At least 76 people have been held by the police since Sunday for questioning.

On Wednesday, Ruwan Gunasekara said 60 people were arrested and out of them 32 are in custody. The number with 16 more arrests on Thursday has gone up to 76. Sources say a man from Egypt without a valid visa and passport, who was reportedly preaching Islam at a school on the outskirts of Colombo, was also detained.

On the investigation front, the authorities have now shifted their focus to the international links of the home-grown cell, National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). NTJ is a little-known group in Sri Lanka, which reportedly was involved in Islamic preaching and seminars in the east and in Colombo. Reportedly, its founder-leader Zaharan Hasim detonated himself during the Easter Sunday blasts at a five-star hotel.

In the meantime, Friday Jumma prayers in all the mosques in Sri Lanka have been suspended, following a discussion with the Islamic heads and Muslim ministers. And mass prayers and services have also been suspended at the churches to avoid any further religious tension.