Catholic Churches In Sri Lanka Cancel Public Mass Until Security Situation Improves

As a precautionary measure in the immediate aftermath of serial bombings in Sri Lanka, Catholic churches across the island have suspended all their public services until the security situation improves, reports Business Standard.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, head of a local church said that Sunday’s attacks were coordinated by an organised group while maintaining that the attackers had no religion. He urged that the politicians must set aside all the differences to rebuild the country after it was struck by ghastly attacks that took a heavy toll of 360.

In an official statement, Ranjith said, “There will be no public mass until further notice’’.

The rift between President Maitripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has been highlighted by the Sri Lankan media and some ministers, after it emerged that authorities had prior intelligence from India and the US about the possible attacks by Tawheed Jamat group that has links with ISIS.

Augmenting the security measures further, the army increased its deployment from 1,300 to 6,300 personnel with the Navy and Air Force also deploying 2,000 additional personnel.

After an intensified raids by the law enforcement agencies with the help of army on Thursday and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the country's worst terror attack that killed nearly 360 people and left over 500 injured.