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Sri Lanka court convicts 15 men over deadly Easter Sunday bombings
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka's High Court sentenced 15 men to 220 years in prison each for their direct involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people.
The April 21, 2019, attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels during Easter services, killing 279 people and wounding about 500 across the island nation.
Prosecutors identified Mohamed Naufar as the ringleader who provided support to the suicide squad; the court ordered confiscation of all property belonging to the 15 convicts.
Catholic priest Jude Fernando told AFP, "Finally, we have justice," as the verdict brought closure for victims; Sri Lanka's Catholic Church maintains the true masterminds remain unidentified.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that investigators believe the network was cultivated to manufacture security threats, as separate investigations continue into alleged orchestration to bolster the Rajapaksa family.
About 15 people were convicted on Tuesday, September 22 in Colombo for participating in the terrible suicide attacks on Easter Sunday 2019 in Sri Lanka, which resulted in 279 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The country's high court sentenced each of the 15 men to 220 years in prison.