The latest out of Sri Lanka

‘Controlled explosion’ near cinema in Colombo, Sri Lanka as police discover ‘suspicious’ bike

RT,

24 April, 2019

A bomb squad carried out a “controlled explosion” near a movie in Colombo, Sri Lanka after police discovered a "suspicious" scooter, while dealing with the aftermath of a series of bombings that killed 359 people.

The controlled explosion was conducted on Wednesday near the Savoy Theatre in the Wellawatte neighborhood of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city.
Police discovered a “suspicious motorbike” parked outside of the cinema and decided to destroy it after they couldn’t open its seat, the junior defense minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, told reporters.

Chilling footage of Shangri-La terror attack: ISIS bombers wearing backpacks take the lift to second-floor hotel buffet before blowing themselves up in Sri Lanka atrocity 'to avenge Christchurch massacre'

• The two attackers appear to discuss their plans in the lift before walking into the Shangri-La hotel's restaurant
• As hotel guests have an Easter Sunday breakfast the bombers detonate their devices in a cloud of smoke  
• At least 321 people were killed on Easter Sunday, 45 of them children, while more than 500 were injured 
• Two sons of wealthy spice trader are believed to have blown themselves up using 'crude devices' at hotels 
• Another chilling clip earlier showed a different bomber patting a girl on the head just before launching attack 
• ISIS has claimed responsibility and released footage of the fighters swearing allegiance to the jihadist group 

CCTV footage has revealed the moment that two suicide bombers took a lift to the restaurant of Sri Lanka's Shangri-La hotel before they blew themselves up.

Wearing backpacks, the two men appear to discuss their plans in the elevator on the second floor in the final moments before the Easter Sunday massacre.


The bombers then enter the Table One eatery almost unnoticed while hotel guests are having breakfast before he detonates his deadly weapon.


In a split second the plush restaurant becomes a scene of horror as the bomb explodes in a cloud of smoke and bright red flame.


Sri Lankan officials believe one of the attackers at the Shangri-La was the son of a wealthy Colombo spice trader, and one of two Muslim brothers among the perpetrators of the Easter attacks in which more than 300 died.