ISIS claim Lanka blast that killed 300

The ISIS, which is believed to be going down following the collapse of their Caliphate, today stunned the world by claiming responsibility for the devastating Sri Lanka bombings that killed over 300 on Easter Sunday and injured over 500.

Sri Lanka top security official had earlier named the local Islamist group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath, as the chief suspect, for the barbaric act that has sparked local and international outrage.

US intelligence sources had earlier said the attacks bore some of the hallmarks of the ISIS. International experts had said, even if a Sri Lankan group had carried out the attacks, it was likely that the ISIS were involved given the level of sophistication of the apparently coordinated bombings.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the number of people arrested since Sunday had risen from 24 to 40.

The powerful blasts – six in quick succession on Easter morning and then two more hours later – left the island nation shell shocked. Dozens of other foreigners, including 8 Indians, are believed to be among those dead.

Sri Lankan government has decided to enforce a state of emergency from midnight on Monday in the wake of the deadly Easter blasts that killed 290 people and wounded more than 500 others.

A fresh bomb went off in a van this evening when the security experts were defusing the bomb. Some say it was a controlled explosion.

"The government has decided to gazette the clauses related to prevention of terrorism to emergency regulation and gazette it by midnight," the president's media unit said in a statement.

It said the measures would target terrorism and would not limit freedom of expression.

The decision has been taken during a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena. The government has declared on Tuesday as a national day of mourning.