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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.
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 attacks of revenge, fled the city of Negombo, site of one of the attacks
Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, a top non-elected head of the department, announced his resignation on Thursday because of inadequate intelligence
-The Catholic Church of the country has announced the suspension of all religious services
-The police say that more than 70 people have been arrested
UK Foreign Office warns now against all essential travel to Sri Lanka
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.
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