A ninth explosive device, a six-foot pipe bomb found at Colombo International Airport in Sri Lanka, has been successfully defused, following a series of deadly terrorist attacks that killed over 200 people on Easter Sunday.
“A PVC pipe which was six feet (1.8 meters) in length containing explosives in it was discovered” on a road close to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, Air Force spokesman Gihan Seneviratne told reporters.
The facility was immediately placed on lockdown as the Air Force proceeded to defuse the device in a controlled explosion. Security at the airport, however, remains tight, with management requesting passengers to arrive unaccompanied at least four hours before their flights.
“Only passengers will be allowed in the terminal building until further notice in order to facilitate the security measures,” the airport warned.
Earlier on Sunday, a series of explosions targeted three churches and three hotels in the country. Later, a seventh explosion struck a hotel near the National zoo in Dehiwala, while an eighth blast rocked a house during a security operation. At least 207 people died on Sunday, among them many foreigners, while hundreds of others were injured.
At least 24 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, as authorities continue their hunt for those responsible for the atrocities. So far, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions.
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