Explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka

by **Merni** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:37 pm

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48001720

There have been explosions at 3 churches and 3 luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, on Easter Sunday. Reports say that at least 20 are dead and 160 injured. It's not yet known who was behind the attack, but it seems pretty well planned.
Edit: It's also reported that foreign tourists may be among the victims.
What does NSG think?

by **Oldenfranck** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:51 pm

Very awful, especially on Easter Sunday, early story, not a lot of info available yet, most likely a highly coordinated attack though. Shame on whoever did this, hopefully they are nabbed fast. Let's all wish that the numbers of those who are hurt or dead do not climb.

by **The Alma Mater** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:52 pm

DPA states the death toll is over 50 already...

by **Neanderthaland** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:53 pm

Somebody is a detestable sonofabitch. Just waiting to find out who.

by **The Caleshan Valkyrie** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:53 pm

It is customary to tell us what you think as well.

Hope they catch the bastages.

by **The Alma Mater** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 11:08 pm

Neanderthaland wrote:Somebody is a detestable sonofabitch.

Somebodies. Some of those locations are a 7 hour drive apart from eachother - this was a well coordinated group.

Death toll has risen further - in Katuwapitiya alone the toll is already over 50; other churches report at least 20.

EDIT: and even further according to News 1st:

- Colombo explosions: 40 dead, 295 injured (National Hospital Director)
- Katuwapitiya: 93 dead
- Batticaloa : 27 dead, 73 injured

by **Neanderthaland** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 11:12 pm

The Alma Mater wrote:
Neanderthaland wrote:Somebody is a detestable sonofabitch.

Somebodies. Some of those locations are a 7 hour drive apart from eachother - this was a well coordinated group.

Somebody plural.

by **Negarakita** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 11:23 pm

This attack is horrific. There's a letter circulating which is in Sinhalese so I can't read it but it seems as though it hints at the government having some kind of idea something was happening and that it has potentially been done by Islamic groups. At the same time, apparently, some stuff has been happening with ex-LTTE Cadres and the Sri Lankan underground, and Buddhist groups have been doing their thing as well and harassing Christians recently. So we'll see.

UPDATE: Apparently the letter is faked. It blamed Thawheed Jamaath for the attack.

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sat Apr 20, 2019 11:44 pm

This is incredibly sad. And on Easter too.

by **Costa Fierro** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:00 am

I was thinking this would be the work of the Tamil Tigers but this is way beyond what they're capable of.

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:05 am

Costa Fierro wrote:I was thinking this would be the work of the Tamil Tigers but this is way beyond what they're capable of.

I thought about them too. But I thought their beef was mostly just against the Buddhists in Sri Lanka.

by **The Alma Mater** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:07 am

Costa Fierro wrote:I was thinking this would be the work of the Tamil Tigers but this is way beyond what they're capable of.

Not way beyond - it is just some bombs after all. But Catholics are not their target; nor would hurting tourists help them achieve international recognition for their country.

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:09 am

The Alma Mater wrote:
Costa Fierro wrote:I was thinking this would be the work of the Tamil Tigers but this is way beyond what they're capable of.

Not way beyond - it is just some bombs after all. But Catholics are not their target; nor would hurting tourists help them achieve international recognition for their country.

Upon further reading, the TT is apparently defunct. Defeated by the government in 2009.

by **The Alma Mater** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:13 am

Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:
The Alma Mater wrote:
Not way beyond - it is just some bombs after all. But Catholics are not their target; nor would hurting tourists help them achieve international recognition for their country.

Upon further reading, the TT is apparently defunct. Defeated by the government in 2009.

They still exist. Just like Al Queada and IS.
But I doubt they are responsibe here.

Who is ? No idea.

by **Bezkoshtovnya** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:17 am

Downright awful....are there any leads on what group is responsible? It certainly seems coordinated. Potentially some offshoot of TT?

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:17 am

The Alma Mater wrote:
Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:
Upon further reading, the TT is apparently defunct. Defeated by the government in 2009.

They still exist. Just like Al Queada and IS.
But I doubt they are responsibe here.

Who is ? No idea.

Apparently the main organization was eliminated in 2009, with a final arrest in 2011 in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

by **Washington Resistance Army** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:34 am

Any ideas on culprits yet? Like Costa I was kinda leaning towards the Tigers when I first heard but they've been on the downlow for too long to just pop back up with something like this.

by **Svasat** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:50 am

The Tamil Tigers are thirsting for a Tamil homeland again?

by **Lichian** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:52 am

Fucking tragic to have this happen on Easter of all days. I don't think it's the Tamils in the slightest, but could it maybe be some group trying to get revenge for Christchurch? I hope not, because that'd just make things even more horrific.

by **Svasat** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:54 am

Lichian wrote:Fucking tragic to have this happen on Easter of all days. I don't think it's the Tamils in the slightest, but could it maybe be some group trying to get revenge for Christchurch? I hope not, because that'd just make things even more horrific.

I'm sure that wouldn't be the case, Islam in Eelam only comprises about 9% of the population.

by **Rexoniat** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:54 am

Whoever did this, fuck them.

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:58 am

Svasat wrote:The Tamil Tigers are thirsting for a Tamil homeland again?

Bombing churches and hotels wouldn’t garner them a Tamil controlled region in Sri Lanka, really, if that were the case. I thought it was them for a minute but I have a feeling this isn’t the work of the Tamil Tigers.

by **Svasat** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:59 am

Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:
Svasat wrote:The Tamil Tigers are thirsting for a Tamil homeland again?

Bombing churches and hotels wouldn’t garner them a Tamil controlled region in Sri Lanka, really, if that were the case. I thought it was them for a minute but I have a feeling this isn’t the work of the Tamil Tigers.

Could serve as a statement they want a Buddhist Eelam, not a Christian Eelam. That's how I am understanding it.

by **The Alma Mater** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:00 am

Lichian wrote:Fucking tragic to have this happen on Easter of all days. I don't think it's the Tamils in the slightest, but could it maybe be some group trying to get revenge for Christchurch? I hope not, because that'd just make things even more horrific.

While the muslims on sri lanka in recent years have had some serious problems with the local buddhists, they tend to get along with the christians pretty well. So that would be an odd thing to do.
It is a riddle...

Who knows, maybe the conspiracy theories were right and Notre Dame was only the beginning of a large scale attack on the Catholic Church.

by **The Alma Mater** » Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:01 am

Svasat wrote:
Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:
Bombing churches and hotels wouldn’t garner them a Tamil controlled region in Sri Lanka, really, if that were the case. I thought it was them for a minute but I have a feeling this isn’t the work of the Tamil Tigers.

Could serve as a statement they want a Buddhist Eelam, not a Christian Eelam. That's how I am understanding it.

Tamils are mostly Hindu though.

Explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka

Explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka

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