Sri Lanka attack: Death toll rises to 290

The death toll from a wave of bombings across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday increased to 290 on Monday as authorities arrested 24 people in connection with the attacks.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks and the police investigation is ongoing.

A government minister described the coordinated bombings as a “brand new type of terrorism,” after a decade of relative calm in Sri Lanka.

Late Sunday, authorities disposed of a six-foot pipe bomb near Bandarayanake International Airport in Colombo.

Separately, the US State Department is warning that “terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka.”

Over 30 foreigners, including Britons, Indians and Australians were reported to be among 290 persons killed in the attack.