WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that “several U.S. citizens were among those killed” in a series of bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter morning that killed more than 200 people and injured at least 450 others.

The White House in a statement on Sunday condemned the attacks, saying the United States “stands with the Sri Lankan government and people as they bring to justice the perpetrators of these despicable and senseless acts.” </s> Washington, April 22 (IANS) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday blamed “a horrific wave of Islamic radical terror” for the deadly bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 290 people and injured over 500.

“What was supposed to be a joyful Easter Sunday was marred by a horrific wave of Islamic radical terror and bloodshed. Sadly, this evil exists in the world. This is America’s fight, too,” Pompeo said at a news conference at the State Department.

The Sri Lankan government said that the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), a Muslim group in the country, carried out the attacks. But officials also believe that the attackers were aided by international terrorists.

Pompeo said that he spoke to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday morning and that the US was offering “all possible assistance” to the Sri Lankan government and American citizens impacted by the terror attacks.

“We urge that any evildoers be brought to justice expeditiously and America is prepared to support that,” Pompeo added. “We stand committed, resolved, to confront terrorism together.”

In a statement issued on Sunday following the attacks, Pompeo had said “several” Americans were killed, but did not provid a specific number. </s> COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The bomb attacks in the Sri Lankan capital that killed at least 290 people and wounded hundreds of others are a tragedy both locally and internationally.

Suicide bombers struck three Christian churches and four luxury hotels in eight blasts in Colombo on Sunday morning.

While the overwhelming majority of the dead were Sri Lankans, there were also victims from across the world, from the United States to China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Turkey.

While we are still learning more about who died, here's what we know so far:

Sri Lankan television chef Shantha Mayadunne and her daughter Nisanga Mayadunne were killed in the explosion at the Shangri-La Hotel, according to two immediate family members.

In a Facebook photo apparently posted just before the explosion, Nisanga showed herself and several others eating breakfast in the hotel. The photo caption read "Easter breakfast with family 😊"

Three children of ASOS tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen died in the attacks, a spokesperson for his clothing chain, Bestseller, confirmed to CNN Monday.

"We can confirm that Anders lost three children in the attack," Jesper Stubkier, Bestseller's communication manager said. He said he could not give further information about the victims because he "had to respect the privacy of the family."

Povlsen is a member of the board of directors of Bestseller, according to the company's website. Bestseller is the largest shareholder in clothing giant ASOS.

Earlier, Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anders Samuelsen, said on Twitter that three Danish nationals were killed in the bombings.

At least 39 tourists were killed in the attacks, Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said on Monday.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that several US citizens were among those killed.

Dieter Kowalski from Colorado was identified as one of the American victims by Pearson, the education publishing company that he worked for. "Dieter had just arrived at his hotel, where many of our colleagues have stayed over the years, when he was killed in an explosion," Pearson CEO John Fallon said in a statement.

Dieter's brother Derrick Kowalski confirmed his brother's death on Facebook, saying, "as we know that Dieter saw his friends as family, we would like to share our grief over this tragic incident."

The Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK said eight British nationals died: "Yesterday we confirmed that five British nationals had died. This morning, we were able to confirm an addition three British nationals had been killed in the attack, bringing the total death toll to eight."

The UK Foreign Office didn't immediately confirm the number of deaths but said "British nationals were among those killed."

Earlier, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said in a statement that five British citizens, including two with dual US-UK nationalities, had been killed.

James Dauris, the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, said in a video posted on Twitter that he was on his way to a Colombo hospital where victims had been taken.

Turkey has named the two Turkish citizens who were killed. Both were engineers, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

"Unfortunately, we lost our citizens, Serhan Selcuk Narici and Yigit Ali Cavus, in the treacherous attacks in Sri Lanka," the agency quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying.

"We are in contact with their families and we will ensure quick return of the bodies to our country," Cavusoglu said.

Two Australians from the same family

Two Australians from the same family living in Sri Lanka were also killed, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told media in Melbourne on Monday.

"We have further information that has come through from our post, sadly two Australians have been killed as part of these terror attacks," he said.

Two other Australians were injured and are in a stable condition.

"One is a woman in her mid-50s and the other a woman in her mid-to-late-20s. Both are in a stable condition, I understand. One is being treated for shrapnel wounds, and one is being treated for a broken leg," Morrison said.

At least five Indians

Five Indians died in the attacks, said Niteen Yeola, the press officer for the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka. He named the dead as Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh, K.M. Lakshminarayan, K.G. Hanumantharayappa, M. Rangappa and Narayan Chandrashekha.

Yeola added that several more Indians were injured, but their names have not been released.

Chinese state media reported that two Chinese cousins died in the attacks. Family members have identified them, the reports said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok confirmed that one Dutch person was killed, and a Portuguese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed to CNN that one person from that country had died.

Tributes to the victims and condemnation of the attackers have poured in from across the world.

"I wish to show my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, hit while gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence," said Pope Francis in his Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing. "I entrust to the Lord those who have tragically been lost and I pray for the wounded and all those who suffer because of this dramatic event."

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower went dark at midnight Sunday to pay tribute to the victims.

"The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity," former US President Barack Obama tweeted. "On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka." </s> Several Americans were among the more than 200 people killed Sunday in a series of bombings of hotels and churches in Sri Lanka, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

“While many details of the attacks are still emerging, we can confirm that several US citizens were among those killed,” he said in a statement.

“The US Embassy is working tirelessly to provide all possible assistance to the American citizens affected by the attacks and their families.”

The attacks, which police said left more than 450 people wounded in addition to at least 207 dead, constituted the worst act of violence since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war a decade ago.

READ ALSO: Death Toll In Sri Lanka Blasts Rises To 207 – Police

The government imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

Earlier reports citing Sri Lankan officials said the number of dead foreigners as between 27 and 35, including Americans, British and Dutch.

A White House statement said that “the United States condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka.”

Since the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka ended in 2009, the country — noted for its friendliness, natural beauty, its temples and mix of cultures — had drawn increasing numbers of foreign tourists.

The Lonely Planet guide last year named it “the best country in the world to visit in 2019.” </s> Several Americans were among the more than 200 people killed Sunday in a series of bombings of hotels and churches in Sri Lanka, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

"While many details of the attacks are still emerging, we can confirm that several US citizens were among those killed," he said in a statement.

"The US Embassy is working tirelessly to provide all possible assistance to the American citizens affected by the attacks and their families."

The attacks, which police said left more than 450 people wounded in addition to at least 207 dead, constituted the worst act of violence since the end of Sri Lanka's civil war a decade ago.

The government imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

Earlier reports citing Sri Lankan officials said the number of dead foreigners as between 27 and 35, including Americans, British and Dutch.

A White House statement said that "the United States condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka."

Since the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka ended in 2009, the country -- noted for its friendliness, natural beauty, its temples and mix of cultures -- had drawn increasing numbers of foreign tourists.

The Lonely Planet guide last year named it "the best country in the world to visit in 2019." </s> COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The bomb attacks in Sri Lanka that killed at least 290 people and wounded hundreds of others are a tragedy both locally and internationally.

Suicide bombers struck three Christian churches and four luxury hotels in eight blasts in the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa on Sunday morning.

While the overwhelming majority of the dead were Sri Lankans, there were also victims from across the world, from the United States to China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Turkey.

While we are still learning more about who died, here's what we know so far:

Sri Lankan television chef Shantha Mayadunne and her daughter Nisanga Mayadunne were killed in the explosion at the Shangri-La Hotel, according to two immediate family members.

In a Facebook photo apparently posted just before the explosion, Nisanga showed herself and several others eating breakfast in the hotel. The photo caption read "Easter breakfast with family 😊"

Three children of ASOS tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen died in the attacks, a spokesperson for his clothing chain, Bestseller, confirmed to CNN Monday.

"We can confirm that Anders lost three children in the attack," Jesper Stubkier, Bestseller's communication manager, told CNN in a phone interview. He said he could not give further information about the victims because he "had to respect the privacy of the family."

Povlsen is a member of the board of directors of Bestseller, according to the company's website. Bestseller is the largest shareholder in clothing giant ASOS.

Earlier, Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anders Samuelsen, said on Twitter that three Danish nationals were killed in the bombings.

At least 39 tourists were killed in the attacks, Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said on Monday.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that several US citizens were among those killed.

Dieter Kowalski from Colorado was identified as one of the American victims by Pearson, the education publishing company that he worked for. "Dieter had just arrived at his hotel, where many of our colleagues have stayed over the years, when he was killed in an explosion," Pearson CEO John Fallon said in a statement.

Dieter's brother Derrick Kowalski confirmed his brother's death on Facebook, saying, "as we know that Dieter saw his friends as family, we would like to share our grief over this tragic incident."

The Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK said eight British nationals died: "Yesterday we confirmed that five British nationals had died. This morning, we were able to confirm an addition three British nationals had been killed in the attack, bringing the total death toll to eight."

The UK Foreign Office didn't immediately confirm the number of deaths but said "British nationals were among those killed."

Earlier, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said in a statement that five British citizens, including two with dual US-UK nationalities, had been killed.

James Dauris, the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, said in a video posted on Twitter that he was on his way to a Colombo hospital where victims had been taken.

A spokesperson for Germany's foreign ministry said that a German-American dual national had been killed.

Turkey has named the two Turkish citizens who were killed. Both were engineers, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

"Unfortunately, we lost our citizens, Serhan Selcuk Narici and Yigit Ali Cavus, in the treacherous attacks in Sri Lanka," the agency quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying.

"We are in contact with their families and we will ensure quick return of the bodies to our country," Cavusoglu said.

Two Australians from the same family

Two Australians from the same family living in Sri Lanka were also killed, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told media in Melbourne on Monday.

"We have further information that has come through from our post, sadly two Australians have been killed as part of these terror attacks," he said.

Two other Australians were injured and are in a stable condition.

"One is a woman in her mid-50s and the other a woman in her mid-to-late-20s. Both are in a stable condition, I understand. One is being treated for shrapnel wounds, and one is being treated for a broken leg," Morrison said.

At least five Indians

Five Indians died in the attacks, said Niteen Yeola, the press officer for the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka. He named the dead as Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh, K.M. Lakshminarayan, K.G. Hanumantharayappa, M. Rangappa and Narayan Chandrashekha.

Yeola added that several more Indians were injured, but their names have not been released.

Chinese state media reported that two Chinese cousins died in the attacks. Family members have identified them, the reports said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok confirmed that one Dutch person was killed, and a Portuguese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed to CNN that one person from that country had died.

Tributes to the victims and condemnation of the attackers have poured in from across the world.

"I wish to show my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, hit while gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence," said Pope Francis in his Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing. "I entrust to the Lord those who have tragically been lost and I pray for the wounded and all those who suffer because of this dramatic event."

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower went dark at midnight Sunday to pay tribute to the victims.

"The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity," former US President Barack Obama tweeted. "On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka." </s> A British father wandered the streets in a bloody shirt after his entire family were killed in the Sri Lanka Easter terror attacks.

Ben Nicholson was on holiday with his wife Anita, 42, son Alex, 11, and young daughter Annabel, who have been confirmed dead.

He was seen walking the streets "covered in blood" after the atrocity, according to a medic at the emergency triage department in the National Hospital in Colombo, reports the Mail .

Pushpa Zoysa said: "I saw him covered in blood like this, walking up and down just there. He spoke to me twice, asking about his family.

"He was not running or crying, he was shocked. We wondered whether he was confused but he seemed in control. He just kept asking about his family members.

"He was walking around completely alone and I feel sorry for him but there were so many dead and dying people here, I didn't have time to speak to him more. Eventually he left."

The family were reported to have been dining in the Shangri-La when the bomber struck.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Mrs Nicholson was based in Singapore as managing counsel at the mining and metals company Anglo American.

Mr Nicholson was a partner in the Singapore office of Kennedys Legal Solutions and advises clients on insurance law.

The devastating eight blasts killed 290 people and injured more than 500.

Members of little known Islamic group National Thowheed Jamath are alleged to have blown themselves up at three churches and three hotels on the Indian Ocean island with help from an international network.

All of the Easter Sunday bombers were Sri Lankan nationals, and the government has said there were several warnings of possible attacks in the days before the massacre that included eight Britons among the dead.

A local Muslim extremist group now stands accused of the worst attacks since the end of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009 and one of the world's worst since 9/11 - but little is known about them.

Hospital worker Pushpa Zoysa described the scenes of carnage as ambulances arrived with body parts and "badly injured people"

Billionaire owner of ASOS Anders Holch Povlsen lost three of his four children in the attacks.

His daughter posted a heartbreaking family holiday photo just three ago.

Povlsen and his family were on holiday on the Indian Ocean island when the three children died in one of the Easter Sunday bombings targeting hotels and churches.

Mr Povlsen's daughter Alma shared an Instagram photo of her siblings Astrid, Agnes and Alfred - calling them "three little bears" - in front of a swimming pool lined by palm trees just three days before the attacks left 290 people dead, including eight Britons.

The 46-year-old billionaire and his wife Anne have not said which of their three children died in the bombing. </s> The Latest: New Zealand says it has not seen Sri Lanka link

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local):

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she hasn't received any official advice from Sri Lanka or seen any intelligence reports to corroborate claims from Sri Lanka's government that the Easter attacks were in retaliation for the mosque massacres in Christchurch last month.

Ardern told reporters in Auckland that Sri Lanka is in the early stages of its investigation, and that New Zealand plans to stand back and allow it to proceed. She said she hadn't been in direct contact with Sri Lanka, although officials from the two countries were in contact.

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said earlier the government had evidence the bombings were carried out by an Islamic fundamentalist group in retaliation for the March 15 mosque shootings in Christchurch that killed 50 people.

The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka says the FBI is on the ground in the country to help assist its investigation into the Easter suicide bombings that killed 359 people.

The embassy said it was part of the support extended by President Trump.

The embassy in Colombo declined to immediately elaborate.

Police say the death toll in the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka has risen to 359 and more suspects have been arrested.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara also said Wednesday morning that 18 suspects were arrested overnight, raising the total detained to 58.

The prime minister warned on Tuesday that several suspects armed with explosives were still at large.

Another top government official said the suicide bombings at the churches, hotels and other sites were carried out by Islamic fundamentalists in apparent retaliation for the New Zealand mosque massacre last month.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks and released images that purported to show the attackers. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that investigators were still determining the extent of the bombers' foreign links. </s> A series of bombings at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka that killed more than 320 people on Easter Sunday were conducted "in retaliation" for mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand last month, a senior government official said.

"The preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch," Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's defense minister, told the country's parliament, according to the Independent.

He said the death toll now stands at 321 dead and 500 injured.

Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded in the attack in Christchurch on March 15 during Friday prayers. A 28-year-old Australian man, Brenton Tarrant - a self-described white supremacist - has been charged over the shootings.

Seven members of the radical Muslim group National Thowfeek Jamaath - a domestic militant group that might have international ties - were behind the Sri Lanka attacks, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said Monday.

At least four Americans are among the dead, the U.S. State Department said. The department gave no details about the identities of the victims, citing privacy concerns, and said it provided support to Americans affected by the blasts.

Sri Lankan authorities on Tuesday planned to brief foreign diplomats and receive assistance from the FBI and other foreign intelligence-gathering agencies after officials disclosed Monday that warnings had been received weeks ago of the possibility of an attack by the radical Muslim group blamed for the bloodshed.

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International intelligence agencies began warning the country's officials April 4, and on April 9, the Defense Ministry included the group's name in a warning to the police chief, Senaratne said.

Seranatne said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet were unaware of the intelligence until after the attacks because of political dysfunction. Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena have been feuding.

More: Sri Lanka bombings: What we know

Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando told the BBC that the intelligence "never indicated it was going to be an attack of this magnitude.''

"They were talking about isolated, one or two incidents. Not like this," he said.

President Sirisena said late Monday that he gave the military wartime powers to arrest suspects. The military has not had such sweeping power since the country's civil war, which ended in 2009. A curfew was to begin at 8 p.m.

The government blocked access to online sites Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram after the blasts, adding to the confusion and sense of chaos in parts of the country as residents and visitors sought assurance that the danger had passed. A nationwide state of emergency was scheduled to begin at midnight Monday.

The bombers were all Sri Lankan, authorities said, but international influence is suspected.

"We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country,” Senaratne said, according to Reuters. “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded."

Police said 40 suspects had been arrested as of early Tuesday, including the driver of a van allegedly used by suicide bombers.

A total of nine bombings took place Sunday in the deadliest instance of violence in Sri Lanka since the civil war ended.

President Donald Trump called Wickremesinghe on Monday morning to express his condolences, White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley said. "The near simultaneous attacks on Sri Lankan churches and hotels constitute one of the deadliest terrorist events since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States," Gidley said.

The FBI said it's providing assistance in the investigation.

Officials found 87 bomb detonators in Colombo, the country's capital. Twelve detonators were at the main bus depot and 75 in a garbage dump.

A van parked near St. Anthony’s Church in Colombo, which was hit in the bombings Sunday, exploded Monday. Police tried to defuse three bombs in it but detonated the vehicle instead. There were no injuries.

A forensic crime analyst told The Associated Press that an analysis of the attackers’ body parts collected from the scenes showed that the attacks were suicide bombings.

Two people were involved in the attack at the Shangri-La hotel. One bomber each attacked the Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels and St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian’s church in the city of Negombo and Zion Church in the city of Batticaloa.

Hours later, two bombings took place at a guesthouse and near an overpass on the outskirts of Colombo. Suspects detonated explosives at a safe house on the outskirts of Colombo, killing three police officers.

Most of the dead were Sri Lankan, many of them members of the Christian minority. At least 30 foreign tourists were killed in the attacks.

The first American identified among the victims was Dieter Kowalski, 40, a Wisconsin native living in Colorado. His employer, education company Pearson, confirmed Kowalski's death Monday. CEO John Fallon said in a message on LinkedIn that Kowalski had just arrived at his hotel when he was killed in the explosion.

Officials at Sidwell Friends, a Washington-area private school where former President Barack Obama's daughter Sasha is a senior, confirmed the death of one of its students in an email to parents. The Washington Post reported the fifth-grade boy, Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa, had been on leave for the past year in Sri Lanka.

The Bestseller clothing chain confirmed Danish media reports that three of the children of its owner, business tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen, were killed in the attacks. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said Holch Povlsen, 46, and his wife, Anne, were vacationing in Sri Lanka with their children.

Victims from the United Kingdom, India, Australia, China, Japan, Spain and Portugal were confirmed.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory warning Americans to "exercise increased caution" because of terrorism concerns.

The U.N. Security Council, the organization's most powerful body, condemned the bombings as “heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks” and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated that several United States citizens were killed in the attacks and Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry officials have stated that at least five of the victims were of British nationality.