2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings

On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three Christian churches across Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings. Later that day, there were smaller explosions at a housing complex in Dematagoda and a guest house in Dehiwala. Several cities in Sri Lanka were targeted. At least 259 people were killed, including at least 45 foreign nationals and three police officers, and at least 500 were injured in the bombings.

The church bombings were carried out during Easter services in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo; the hotels bombed were the Shangri-La Hotel, Cinnamon Grand Hotel, The Kingsbury and Tropical Inn hotels.

According to government officials, all seven of the suicide bombers in the near-simultaneous attacks were Sri Lankan citizens associated with National Thowheeth Jama'ath, a local militant islamist group with suspected foreign ties, previously known for attacks against Buddhists. State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said in parliament that initial investigations have revealed that the attack was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch. However, analysts believe the attacks to have been planned earlier than the Christchurch attack.

On 23 April 2019, the militant Islamic terrorism outfit, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the bombings.