COLOMBO  24 Apr (ANA) - One of the attackers behind the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka studied in the UK, officials say, as further details on the bombers emerge.

 

The country's deputy defence minister said the bomber studied in the UK before doing a course in Australia.

 

The announcement came after the death toll rose again to 359 on Wednesday, with more than 500 people wounded.

 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Islamic State (IS) group may be linked to the blasts.

 

IS has said it was responsible for the attacks, which targeted churches and high-end hotels, although it has not provided direct evidence of its involvement.

 

"We believe that one of the suicide bombers studied in the UK and then later on did his postgraduate in Australia before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka," Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene told a briefing on Wednesday.

 

Mr Wijewardene said that "most of [the attackers] are well educated and come from... middle or upper middle class" families.

 

"They are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially," he added.(ANA)

FA/ANA/24 April 2019--------