Serial-blasts in Colombo: Timeline of when Sri Lanka's fragile peace has been shattered

Sri Lanka has been largely peaceful in the past several years despite decades of violence in the past. The fragile calm was broken on Sunday (April 21).

Sri Lankan military officials stand guard in front of the St. Anthony''s Shrine, Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo. (Reuters Photo)

A number of explosions ripped through the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Sunday (April 21), killing over 160 and injuring another 400.

The explosions took place on the occasion of Easter although the country has only a six per cent Catholic population. The explosions also shatter the peace that the country had been enjoying for several years now after decades of civil war and ethnic tension.

No group or organisation has claimed responsibility for the Sunday's explosions at the time of filing this report although these have clear signs of being a terror-related incident.

Here is a quick flashback into violent attacks in Sri Lanka's history:

Sri Maha Bodhi attack (1985): Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) gunned down at least 146 nuns, monks and civilians in Anuradhapura.

Aluth Oya massacre (1987): At least 127 Sinhalese people were killed by LTTE in Aluth Oya.

Grenade attack on Sri Lankan Parliament (1987): A grenade was thrown at MPs inside the country's Parliament. Two people were killed.

Colombo bus station bombing (1987): A car bomb exploded in the heart of Colombo, killing at least 113 people.

Kattankudy mosque massacre (1990): LTTE targeted and killed at least 147 Muslims in Kattankudy.

Palluyagodella massacre (1992): LTTE killed an estimated 285 people - mostly Sinhalese - in Palluyagodella village.

Colombo Central Bank bombing (1996): At least 91 people were killed when a bomb-laden truck was used by LTTE rammed through the main gate of Colombo Central Bank.

Digampathana bombing (2006): LTTE used a bomb-laden truck and rammed it against a convoy of 15 military buses, killing at least 120 sailors.