'Deeply saddened' Queen sends her condolences to people of Sri Lanka after Easter Sunday terror attack
- Queen and Prince Philip have sent condolences to victims and their families
- She also paid tribute to emergency services who dealt with the explosions
- 290 people, including eight Britons, were killed and 500 wounded yesterday
- Seven bombers are believed to be behind eight blasts at churches and hotels
The Queen has offered her condolences to the people of Sri Lanka in wake of the Easter Sunday terror attack.
Her Majesty, who celebrated her 93rd birthday this weekend, said she and Prince Philip were 'deeply saddened' by the tragedy, which has left 290 dead and 500 injured.
She said today: 'Prince Philip and I were deeply saddened to learn of the attacks in Sri Lanka yesterday and send our condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.
'I pay tribute to the medical and emergency services who are providing support to those who have been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with all Sri Lankans at this difficult time.'
The Queen is pictured attending the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel in Windsor yesterday. She has paid tribute to the victims of the Sri Lanka massacre today
A map showing where the eight blasts went off yesterday, six of them in very quick succession on Easter Sunday morning
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Eight Britons are among the dead, as well as other 24 foreign nationals, after seven suicide bombers coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday church services and hotels.
Sri Lankan officials have blamed a little-known Islamist group called National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) for the terrorist attacks, adding that the organization had 'international help'.
Three of the near-simultaneous blasts targeted worshippers attending Easter services on the holiest day in the Christian calendar.
Families on holiday were massacred by three further explosions at luxury hotels in Colombo as they sat down to enjoy breakfast at around 8.30am.
Seven suicide bombers killed at least 290 people in coordinated attacks on five-star hotels and churches on Easter Sunday. Pictured: the interior of St Sebastian's church in Negombo
Twenty-four suspects have been arrested, as it emerged the country's police chief had warned of an Islamic extremist plot to target 'prominent churches' just 10 days earlier, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sri Lanka's defence ministry has now ordered curfew with immediate effect 'until further notice' while access to social media messaging services has been shut down.
In Colombo, St Anthony's Shrine, a Roman Catholic church, the Cinnamon Grand; Shangri-La; and Kingsbury hotels were targeted in the first wave of explosions.
At the Shangri-La, security camera footage showed two men detonating devices in the Table One restaurant and a hotel corridor.
Other blasts hit St Sebastian's Church in Negombo, a majority Catholic town north of Colombo, and at Zion Church in the eastern town of Batticaloa.
Later in the afternoon, two died in a strike at a hotel near a zoo in the south of Colombo, before a suspected suicide bomber killed police officers in the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, as police moved in on the suspected terrorist safe house. In all 24 suspects were arrested.
Sri Lankan police have responded in considerable numbers, blocking off the affected sites and sending in crime scene officials to scour for evidence
