Woman among nine Sri Lanka bombers: Minister

Sri Lanka Muslim groups denounce attackers

Sri Lanka's Muslim civil society movements and associations have called upon authorities to immediately arrest and punish the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday bombings, saying extremism in the name of Islam does not represent the religion.

A joint statement says authorities should also apprehend those who aided and abetted the attackers through incitement, financing and other support.

It says neither the National Thowheed Jamath nor those who carried out the attacks represent Islam or reflect Muslim beliefs. The statement says they have misused and abused Islam in order to fit their own radical and anti-Islamic agenda, and are criminals.

The signatories include All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the Muslim Council, Jama'athe Islami, the Memon Association of Sri Lanka and Anjuman-E Saifi.

Leader among nine suicide bombers: Minister

The leader of one of the groups behind the Easter Sunday attacks was believed to be one of the suicide bombers, which also included a woman, state minister of defense Ruwan Wijewardena said.

Speaking at a news conference in Colombo, Wijewardena said security forces believed that the bombers were "well educated" individuals, adding that one of them studied in the UK and Australia.

Wijewardena said there were nine suicide bombers, of which eight have been identified. Two safe houses were found after the attacks and at least 60 people were arrested in connection with the bombings, the minister added.

Death toll rises to 359

The death toll from the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka has risen to 359, police say.

Police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekera released the toll on Wednesday but did not give a breakdown of casualties from the three churches and four hotels hit by suicide bombers.

Al Jazeera's Minelle Fernandez, reporting from Colombo, said investigations into the attacks had been widened and another 18 people had been arrested.

Tuesday, April 23:

President to change defence heads after attacks

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said he expected to change the heads of the country's defence forces within a day following their failure to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings, despite the fact they had prior information about the attacks.

"I will completely restructure the police and security forces in the coming weeks. I expect to change the heads of defence establishments within next 24 hours," Sirisena said in a televised address to the nation.

"The security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me. Appropriate actions would have been taken. I have decided to take stern action against these officials."

ISIL claims responsibility

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the bombings via its Amaq news portal.

"Those who carried out the attack that targeted the citizens of the coalition and Christians in Sri Lanka the day before yesterday were Islamic State fighters," the group said in a statement.

In a later statement, the group gave the noms de guerre of seven people who it said were behind the "blessed attack" that targeted Christians during their "blasphemous holiday", referring to Easter. It also released a photo of eight men it said were behind the blasts.

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