Chennai, April 22
The Sri Lankan police have arrested over two dozen persons in connection with Sunday's serial bomb blasts in churches and hotels that killed 290 people and injured over 500, said a journalist. He also said that some of those arrested belonged to rich families.

"The police have said that about 25 people have been arrested and they belong to the Muslim community. Some of them are from rich families, driving luxury cars, which indicates radicalisation," Arun Arokianathan, Consultant Editor, Athaavan TV, Colombo told IANS over the phone.

According to Arokianathan, schools in the country were expected to reopen later this week. "It was a holiday week in Sri Lanka with most people on vacation. The attackers took advantage of the relaxed atmosphere," Arokianathan said.

Addressing the media earlier in the day, Sri Lankan Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne blamed Sri Lankan Muslim outfit the National Thowheed Jamath for the blasts. "The National Thowheed Jamath was involved. It is a local organisation. We don't know whether they are linked to outsiders. All those arrested are locals."

Senaratne also called the well-planned attacks a "colossal intelligence failure" and admitted that they could not be prevented despite receiving prior information.

Several suicide bombers detonated themselves: Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan government said on Monday that several suicide bombers had detonated themselves during a series of attacks against three churches and three luxury hotels in the country on Easter Sunday that left nearly 300 dead and 500 wounded.

"The majority are suicide bombers (...) And their training places have been identified and raided as well," said Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne at a press conference here.

He said that investigations had suggested that the deadly attacks were possibly planned with the help of an international network, given the training received by the attackers and the use of explosives at such a massive scale.

"We don't see that only a small organization in this country can do all that, we are now investigating about the international support for them, and their other links: how they produced the suicide bombers here, and how they produced bombs like this," he added.

The attacks had began with six coordinated bomb blasts at 8.45 a.m. at three luxury hotels in Colombo, and three churches across the country during Easter services.

A few hours later, a seventh blast had rocked a small hotel near the Dehiwala Zoo, about 12 km south of the capital. An eighth explosion took place at a residential compound in Dematagoda in Colombo.

More than 20 people have been arrested in connection to the bombings, which have not been claimed by any group until now.

Lanka blasts: Some of the arrested are from rich families