Easter attacks have strengthened trust, cooperation between Pak, Lanka: Sri Lankan PM

Considering Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer to assist Sri Lanka in countering terrorism, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that they will seek help from Pakistan if necessary, to trace the terrorists and eliminate them.

In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Wickremesinghe said that Pakistan has fully supported Sri Lanka’s war on terror. "If necessary, we will seek their help to trace the terrorists and eliminate them. I see this tragic event as further strengthening the trust that exists between our countries and increasing cooperation."

When asked about if Pakistan was involved in the attack, Wickremesinghe said that they are investigating the possibility of foreign links and there is no evidence yet to suggest any particular country has backed terrorists. He continued that all the countries in the region are faced with the same threats.

Condemning the terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, PM Khan had offered Wickremesinghe Pakistan's assistance towards counter terrorism measures. On Sunday, six near-simultaneous explosions at luxury hotels and churches holding Easter mass took place in Sri Lanka leading to a death toll of over 300, which authorities fears will rise. At least 500 people were injured in the attacks.

However, on Thursday Sri Lankan officials revised the death toll from the bombings down by about 100, blaming the difficulty in identifying body parts at bomb scenes for the earlier inaccurate number.