Sri Lanka ends emergency rule imposed after Easter bombings

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has ended four months of emergency rule imposed after Easter Sunday suicide attacks killed more than 260 people, the president’s office said Friday.

President Maithripala Sirisena allowed the emergency rule to lapse by not signing a decree extending it for another month.

Two local Muslim groups have been blamed for the attacks on three churches and three hotels in and around Colombo and the eastern town of Batticaloa.

Seven suicide bombers participated in the attacks. Another committed suicide after his attempt failed, while another killed herself to avoid capture.

The emergency laws gave the military and police sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects.

Sri Lanka’s government and the security apparatus are accused of not acting upon near-specific intelligence from foreign agencies ahead of the attacks, and a parliamentary committee is investigating who was responsible for not taking timely action.

The blasts, which killed a number of foreign tourists, caused a serious setback to the country’s lucrative tourism industry.