Ninth bomb defused near Colombo airport: police

IED is believed to have been locally manufactured.

Sri Lankan police officers stand guard outside a church which was attacked on Sunday. Last year, there were 86 verified incidents of discrimination, threats and violence against Christians, according to the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), which represents more than 200 churches and other Christian organisations.

An improvised pipe bomb discovered close to Colombo’s main airport was successfully defused by the Sri Lanka airforce, police said.

A police source told AFP that a “homemade” pipe bomb had been found late Sunday on a road leading towards the main terminal, which remains open with heavy security after deadly attacks on churchs and hotels.

Airforce spokesperson Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said the IED was believed to be locally manufactured.