Stand alongside Sri Lanka, condemn cold-blooded attacks: China Daily editorial

It was a bloody Easter Sunday for Sri Lanka as eight explosions blasted churches and hotels on the island, killing at least 192 people and injuring 470.

One Chinese national has reportedly been confirmed among the dead.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks, but Agence France Presse reported that it had seen documents showing Sri Lanka's police chief Pujuth Jayasundara issued an intelligence alert to top officers 10 days ago, warning that suicide bombers planned to hit prominent churches.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said that he had ordered the special police force and the military to investigate who was behind the attacks and their agenda. Two of the suicide attackers have reportedly already been identified and seven suspects arrested.

We feel deeply sorry for the dead and injured and offer our sincere condolences to the relatives of the dead and the Sri Lankan government. We strongly condemn those who have masterminded and carried out such cold-blooded and cruel terrorist attacks.

No matter the agenda, such attacks are absolutely unacceptable and unforgivable as no one has the right to deprive innocent people of their right to participate in religious activities, never mind take their lives. So it was not just a bloody Easter for Sri Lanka, but also the world. Those behind the attacks are not just enemies of Sri Lanka but of all countries.

However reasonable and justifiable an agenda or appeal may be, the moment people use it to claim the lives of innocent people, they are on the side of injustice and become an enemy of human civilization, since any form of terrorism strikes against the civilized world.

We are firm in our stand against any form of terrorism, extremism and separatism. We stand with the Sri Lankan people today.

At a time when many people in Sri Lanka have been killed and injured in the attacks, we strongly call for international cooperation to rally to fight against terrorism and extremism wherever it may be found, and we strongly call for joint efforts to eliminate any double standard in the fight against terrorism. Sound international cooperation and joint efforts by all countries make a difference in the fight against terrorism.