Sri Lanka remembers Easter bomb victims amid virus

Sri Lankans commemorated the anniversary of last year's Islamic State group-inspired Easter Sunday bomb attacks mainly from their homes on Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 260 people were killed when three churches - two Catholic and one Protestant - came under simultaneous suicide bomb attacks during Easter celebrations on April 21, 2019.

Three tourist hotels were also targeted, killing some 42 foreign nationals.

Catholic priest Father Joy Mariyaratnam, who was taking part in the ceremony St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade in Colombo when the church attacked, said the bombings were "one of the most tragic events in the history of Sri Lanka".

Public memorials organised to mark the anniversary were cancelled amid a rise in COVID-19 patients.

Instead, church pastors were asked to ring bells and lead two minutes of silence to be observed at 8:45am, the time of the bomb attacks.

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