Probe shows Sri Lanka attacks were 'retaliation for Christchurch', says minister

Colombo, Apr 23: An initial probe into deadly suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka that killed more than 300 people shows it was "retaliation for Christchurch," the country's deputy defence minister said Tuesday.

"The preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka (on Sunday) was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch," state minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament.

The Sri Lankan government has apologised for its failure to act despite receiving advance intelligence inputs about the possibility of terror attacks that rocked the island nation on Easter Sunday, killing 310 people.

A series of eight coordinated blasts ripped through three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists and left 500 people injured in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war ended in 2009.

However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police have arrested 40 people - mostly members of the NIJ - in connection with the blasts.

In the wake of bombings, the military has been given a wider berth to detain and arrest suspects - powers that were used during the civil war but withdrawn when it ended.