Sri Lanka appoints special panel to probe Easter terror attacks

Sri Lanka's speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has appointed a special parliamentary committee to probe the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks which killed over 250 people and injured over 500, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local media Friday.

The special committee will be headed by deputy speaker Ananda Kumarasiri and includes seven legislators from the government, including former army commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.

The committee is further awaiting nominations from the opposition parties. The committee will conduct an independent probe into the terror attacks and report its findings to Parliament, Jayasuriya said.

Nine suicide bombers blew themselves up in churches and luxury hotels on April 21, spreading fear and panic across the island country.

At least 89 suspects have been arrested over their alleged links to the attacks and the suspects are currently under the custody of the Criminal Investigations Department and the Terrorism Investigations Department, the police said.

A local radical group, named the National Thawheed Jammath, has been blamed for the attacks.

- Bernama