Attacks in Sri Lanka: the number of deaths revised downward by about "100"

The Ministry of Health has reduced to more than 100 the number of victims of Sunday's explosions in Sri Lanka.

He blamed a miscalculation.

Kamikazes hit hotels and churches in the Colombo area and the eastern city of Batticaloa. Hundreds of people were injured, officials said.

Most of those killed were Sri Lankans, but dozens of foreigners were also victims. Nine people are believed to have perpetrated these attacks.

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The police continued their raids and published photographs of seven people wanted as part of these attacks.

The authorities accused a local Islamist extremist group, the national Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), shortly after the attacks, while claiming that the suicide bombers should have benefited from outside help.

The Islamic State group claimed to be behind the attacks and released a video showing eight men, but provided no evidence of direct involvement.

In other developments:

• Hundreds of Muslims, fearing revenge attacks, fled the town of Negombo, site of one of the attacks.

• Sri Lanka's defense secretary, Hemasiri Fernando, a senior non-elected head of the department, announced his resignation Thursday due to the failure of the intelligence services.

• The country's Catholic Church has announced the suspension of all religious services

• Police announced the arrest of more than 70 people

• The UK Foreign Office now warns against any travel to Sri Lanka, except for essential elements

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Why was the bad toll given?

Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said morgues provided inaccurate figures.

Another official, the head of health services, told the Reuters news agency that there had been so many body parts that it was "difficult to give a specific figure".

According to the Ministry of Health, all autopsies were completed on Thursday night and it appeared that some victims had been counted more than once.

According to Jill McGivering, editor-in-chief of BBC World Service South Asia, the revised figure is released as the government strives to restore credibility, while its apparent inability to respond to intelligence warnings before attacks is critiqued.

She also struggles to counter false news and rumors about the crisis, she says. This sudden and dramatic revision is unlikely to help.

What is the situation with the Muslim minority?

Muslims in Sri Lanka said they were afraid and persecuted.

Many of Negombo's belong to a minority sect, the Ahmadi. Some took refuge in a mosque under the protection of the police.

Ahmadi Muslims identify as Muslims and follow the Koran, but many Orthodox Muslims consider them heretics.

Many who live in Sri Lanka have fled persecution elsewhere, including Pakistan.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe admitted that some Ahmadiyya had been attacked. Of the 21 million people in Sri Lanka, just under 10% are Muslim.

A community in fear

Muralitharan Kasiviswanathan, BBC Tamil, Negombo

On Wednesday, more than 600 Ahmadis were refugees at Faizul Mosque in Negombo, one of the five Ahmadiyya mosques in Sri Lanka.

Most Ahmadis rented their homes to Catholic Christians. Although the bombings occurred on April 21, it was on the 24th that things were frightened for the Ahmadiyya.

"My house is a few blocks from the church.After the attack, the owner of my house was very worried and asked me to stay safe somewhere.I pay 13,000 rupees [£58; $74] for this house. Most of us have paid an advance of a rent for one year. Where are we going now? ", Asks Habis Rabba Soaib, 27 years old.

About 800 Ahmadis from Pakistan live here with the help of the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Fearing religious prosecution, they fled Pakistan and came to Negombo. From there, they seek asylum in European countries or in the United States.

Although the Faizul mosque is small, mosque officials take care of it and send them for the most part to another mosque, Pesalay, located in a safer place. This mosque is now guarded by the army and the police.

More than 5,000 indigenous Ahmadis live in Negombo. Many of them have lived here for years and now own homes and businesses.

"Since we have been here for a long time, no one is threatening us," said one of the young Muslims busy helping Pakistanis.