Bombings were revenge for New Zealand mosque killings, says Sri Lankan minister

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan minister has said that the recent bombings were were retaliation for recent deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand.

“The initial investigation has revealed that this was in retaliation for the New Zealand mosque attack,” junior minister for defense Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament, reported Reuters.

The death toll the Easter Sunday bombings has risen to 321. No group has claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks. Officials have said that the bombings were carried out by at least seven suicide bombers.

Wijewardene said two Sri Lankan Islamist groups – the National Thawheed Jama’ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim – were responsible for the blasts.