Sri Lanka Catholic churches suspend public mass until situation improves

Sri Lanka's Catholic churches on Thursday suspended all public services until security situation improves as he of church urged politicians to leave aside differences to rebuild country struck by Easter April 21 bombings that killed nearly 360 people.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, he of local Catholic church, said that Easter Sunday's attacks were coordinated by an organised group with powerful nations behind m and also ted that se attackers h religion.

All Catholic churches were asked to stop public mass until security situation improves, Cardinal Ranjith's office quoted him as saying.

"re will be public mass said until furr tice," an official said.

He urged government to leave aside all political differences and work toger at this time to rebuild country again.

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Sri Lankan media and some ministers have criticised rift between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after it emerged that authorities h prior intelligence from India and US about possible attacks by National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) jihist group.

Nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of a local Islamist extremist group NTJ, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches, two of m Catholic, and three luxury hotels packed with Easter worshippers on April 21.

Security has been beefed up in Sri Lanka as army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel.

Also, drone flights were banned and licences issued to commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect.

Sri Lankan authorities Thursday intensified ir raids with help of army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with country's worst terror attack that killed nearly 360 people and left over 500 injured. 

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