Hundreds of dead and Washington issuing a warning

The number of victims of the bombings in Sri Lanka on Sunday rose to 290 dead and about 500 injured, while the Prime Minister called a meeting of the National Security Council, and authorities announced the arrest of 13 people on suspicion of involvement in the bombings.

Police said on Monday in a statement presenting the latest casualty count that among the dead were 36 foreigners. Officials and media reports said the foreign fatalities were from Turkey, China, India and the Netherlands.

No one has claimed responsibility, nor has the authorities made any details about the suspected arrests. But the defense minister described the attacks as "terrorist acts by extremist groups" without giving details.

Authorities lifted the curfew imposed across the country this morning after the bombings, blocking social networking and messaging applications such as Facebook and Wassab.

Reuters reported that soldiers carrying automatic weapons deployed in front of the main hotels and the World Trade Center in the business district of the capital. The authorities announced the closure of all schools Monday and Tuesday.

US warning
Meanwhile, the State Department issued a warning to its citizens on travel to Sri Lanka, saying that "terrorist groups" are still planning possible attacks.

It added that "terrorists" may launch attacks "without warning" and explained that possible targets include places of tourism, transport stations, shopping centers, hotels, places of worship, airports and other public areas.

The series of bombings on Sunday targeted churches and luxury hotels during the Easter Christian celebration, the first major attack since the end of the civil war 10 years ago.

The bombings - at least two suicide bombers, according to the authorities - took place in the churches of Sant Antoni and St. Sebastian in the town of Negombo, in addition to the Zion church east of Batticaloa town, four hotels in the capital and its environs, and an eighth in the northern suburb of Urugu Dauta.

The explosions sparked tension in the multi-ethnic and religious country, with police announcing a firebomb attack on a mosque in the northwestern district of Potalum on Saturday evening and two shops owned by Muslims in the western Kulara region were attacked with sabotage.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday that the government had received "prior information" about the possibility of a local Islamic group not known for attacks on churches but did not take adequate precautions to prevent the attack.

On the other hand, the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Ranith, asked the citizens to be calm while talking on a television channel and asked the authorities to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.

demographics
Of the total population of Sri Lanka - about 22 million people - Buddhists are 70 percent, Hindus 12.6 percent, Muslims 9.7 percent, Christians 7.6 percent, according to the 2012 census.

In its 2018 report on human rights in Sri Lanka, the State Department said some Christian groups and churches had been told they were under pressure to end worship rallies after being classified by the authorities as "unauthorized gatherings." The report also said Buddhist monks repeatedly tried to close places of worship for Christians and Muslims, according to unnamed sources.

Wide condemnation
The bombings have received widespread condemnation around the world. US President Donald Trump offered "heartfelt condolences" to the Sri Lankan people and declared his country's willingness to help.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the bombings were "an attack on humanity as a whole". "I would like to express my sympathies with the Christian community that came under attack during its prayers and all the victims of such violence," said Pope Benedict.

"We all have to have the will and the solutions to end such violence," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardenne said in a statement.