Suicide bomber responsible for the eight blast, killing 3 policemen

The suicide bomber had detonated his explosives upon police arrival. (Reuters pic)

COLOMBO: The eighth blast in a string of explosions that hit Sri Lanka today was carried out by a suicide bomber and killed three police officers, said a police source.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives when police entered a house in a northern suburb of the capital Colombo to carry out a search.

The upper floor of the house collapsed in the blast, killing the police officers.

The blast was the latest in a string targeting mostly hotels and churches that have killed around 160 people in a single day.

Minutes ago, Sri Lankan police on Sunday reported there had been an eight explosion, in the suburb of Orugodawatta, north of the capital, but there were no further details on what was targeted.

Earlier, a seventh explosion was heard in Dehiwela, at a hotel near the national zoo.

The explosion is the fourth at a hotel, following six reported at hotels and churches earlier in the day.

“There was an explosion in a hotel in Dehiwela near the zoo,” a police official told Reuters adding that there were no further details available.

An eyewitness on local TV said he saw some body parts including a severed head lying on the ground near the hotel. Zoo officials declared the zoo closed after the blast.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government declared a curfew with immediate effect, junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said today, following eight explosions that killed nearly 160 people, and mostly targeted churches and hotels.

“A curfew will be imposed until things settle down,” he told reporters in Colombo.

Government officials also said major social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, have been blocked inside the country to prevent misinformation and rumours. - FMT