Authorities confirmed that the death toll from a series of eight terrorist bombings that targeted high-end hotels and churches packed for Easter Sunday has risen to 290 with at least 500 people reported injured. Most of the bombings were perpetrated by suicide bombers who killed themselves in their efforts to kill civilians. Another improvised explosive device was discovered and disarmed by police sappers near the Bandaranaike International Airport in the capital, Colombo.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will declare a nationwide emergency and a curfew. He requested international aid in tracking National Thowheeth Jama’ath, a newly formed radical Islamist group that has international ties with other Islamist groups.

Twenty-four people have been arrested in connection with the attacks. Police carried out raids at two locations at which there were explosions, killing three police officers. The government confirmed that their intelligence organizations had received warnings of impending attacks two weeks prior and had the names of suspects.