What happened on Easter Sunday 2019 in Sri Lanka?
Q: What happened on Easter Sunday 2019 in Sri Lanka?
A: On Easter Sunday 2019 (21 April), there were a series of suicide bombings targeting Christians and tourists in Sri Lanka. Three churches and three luxury hotels in the Colombo area were targeted, resulting in 269 people killed and 500 wounded.
Q: Who claimed responsibility for the attacks?
A: The ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, along with a religious extremist group called National Thowheeth Jama'ath whose members, including its president, Zahran Hashim carried out the attack.
Q: How many foreigners were killed during the bombings?
A: Between 20 and 30 foreigners were killed during the bombings.
Q: What is the population breakdown of religions in Sri Lanka?
A: Most people in Sri Lanka are Buddhist (about 70%). About ten percent are Muslims, and about 7.5 per cent are Christian (about 80% of them are Catholics; the remaining 20% are evenly split between Anglicans and other Protestants).
Q: Were any arrests made after the bombings?
A: Yes, there were some arrests made in connection with the bombings.
Q: Was violence between different ethnic or religious groups common before this incident?
A: Yes, there had been a lot of violence between different ethnic or religious groups prior to this incident.
Q: What was National Thowheeth Jamaath previously known for?
A: National Thowheeth Jamaath was previously known for attacking Buddhists.
