Pope condemns Sri Lanka Easter attacks as 'such cruel violence'
The blasts, which hospital and police officials said wounded more than 400 people.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday condemned attacks that killed at least 138 people in three churches and four hotels in Sri Lanka as “such cruel violence” and said he was close to the Christian community, hit while celebrating Easter.
The blasts, which hospital and police officials said wounded more than 400 people, followed a lull in major attacks since the end of the civil war 10 years ago.
“I learned with sadness and pain of the news of the grave attacks, that precisely today, Easter, brought mourning and pain to churches and other places where people were gathered in Sri Lanka,” Pope Francis told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square to hear his Easter Sunday “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message.
“I wish to express my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, hit while it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence,” said Francis, who visited Sri Lanka in 2015.
“I entrust to the Lord those who have tragically died and I pray for the wounded and for all those who are suffering as a result of this dramatic event,” he said.
The United Nations in Sri Lanka condemned the horrific attacks and expressed its condolences to the victims and their families. "The UN in #lka urges all citizens, all leaders to stand united during these difficult times," the international body tweeted from its Twitter handle.
The @UN in #lka strongly condemns the horrific attacks carried out against civilians and worshipers in #SriLanka. Heartfelt condolences to the families, victims & the Gov & people of #lka. The UN in #lka urges all citizens, all leaders to stand united during these difficult times
— UN in Sri Lanka (@UNSriLanka) April 21, 2019
The security forces have launched a search operation at a house in close proximity to the blast site in Dematagoda following a tip-off that there are more explosives at the location.
The Sri Lankan government has imposed a temporary social media ban in view of the ghastly terror attacks that have claimed more 185 lives. As many as eight blasts rocked the island nation on Easter Sunday.
A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on Sunday killing nearly 200 people, including dozens of foreigners.
The powerful blasts -– six in quick succession and then two more hours later - wrought devastation, including at the capital’s well-known St Anthony’s Shrine, a historic Catholic Church.
Hospital sources said British, Dutch and American citizens were among the 158 dead overall, with Britons and Japanese also injured. A Portuguese man also died, the country’s LUSA news agency reported.
An AFP photographer at the scene at St Anthony’s saw bodies lying on the floor, some draped with scarves and clothes.
Much of the church roof was blown out in the explosion, with roof tiles, glass and splintered wood littering the floor along with pools of blood.
The injured flooded into local hospitals, where officials reported hundreds of wounded were being admitted.
