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A Look At Sites Hit by Easter Sunday Bombings in Sri Lanka

by Associated Press

   COLOMBO, SRI LANKA --

   The Easter Sunday bombings were Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since
   the country's civil war ended a decade ago. Six near-simultaneous
   blasts targeted churches and luxury hotels in and near Colombo, the
   capital. A look at the sites targeted:

   Churches

   St. Anthony's Shrine is a Roman Catholic church in the Kochchikade
   suburb of Colombo and is one of the country's best-known churches. Its
   roots reach to the 18th century Dutch colonial period, when Catholicism
   was forbidden and priests held services in secret. Local beliefs say
   the church's founder, disguised as a merchant, helped a seaside fishing
   community by praying to stop the sea from eroding their village. The
   church was later built near the site.

   St. Sebastian's Church: This Catholic church is in Negombo, a largely
   Catholic town north of Colombo. Built in the Gothic style, it was
   patterned on the Reims Cathedral in France and was completed in the
   1940s.

   Zion Church: This church is in the eastern coastal city of Batticaloa.
   It was founded in the 1970s.

   Hotels

   The Shangri-La Hotel: This towering, luxurious hotel is near Colombo's
   main business district and is just a few steps from the sea. It has 500
   guest rooms and suites and 41 serviced apartments.

   The Kingsbury Colombo Hotel: This luxury hotel is in Colombo's city
   center, a few minutes' walk from the Shangri-La. It has 229 rooms.

   The Cinnamon Grand Colombo hotel: This hotel is about a mile (2
   kilometers) from the Kingsbury and near the sea in a bustling business
   district. It has 483 rooms and 18 suites.

   Others

   Two blasts occurred hours after the initial attacks. A military
   spokesman said a blast at a guesthouse outside Colombo killed two
   people, and another blast occurred at an overpass outside Colombo.

   Authorities also said three police officers were killed when occupants
   of a suspected safe house detonated explosives to avoid arrest.