4 May 2019 02:31 am
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that orders were given to tighten security in the East soon after the bombs went off at churches in Colombo on Easter Sunday.
He said this when he visited Zion Church in Batticaloa which was also attacked on Easter Sunday.
“Orders were given to tighten security in the East soon after the bombs went off at churches on Easter Sunday. We cannot bring back the lives that were lost. Therefore I express my regrets to the people in the East for the carnage in Zion Church,” the Prime Minister said. “There may be other small terror groups such as Thowheed Jama'at in the country and the government has focused on eradicating all of them, We promise that these small terrorist groups would be eradicated soon so that all ethnic and religious groups in the country could live in peace and harmony.”
He asked the Eastern people for their support to fulfil this task. “Convey whatever information you have of terrorists to the security forces,” he told the people gathered at the church.
The Prime Minister pledged to bring in normalcy to the country soon. He said prayers were conducted in Hindu temples and mosques and said services in Catholic churches will be resume soon. The Prime Minister said government schools would reopen on Monday and pledged to fast track the payment of compensation to all bomb victims.
Public Administration Minister Ranjith Manmdduma Bandara, Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga, State Minister of Finance, Eran Wickramartne and MP Kavinda Jayawardene accompanied the Prime Minister on his visit to the Zion Church. (Yohan Perera)