Sri Lanka has appointed Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage, a man accused of overseeing war crimes a decade ago, as head of the Overall Operational Command in Colombo in the wake of the Easter Sunday attacks last week.

Sri Lanka’s president vowed to “eradicate terrorism” and press ahead with presidential polls scheduled for later this year, in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings last week.

“Elections cannot be postponed, therefore before the elections I will bring about stability and I will eradicate terrorism,” Maithripala Sirisena told Reuters.

Sirisena went on to acknowledge that “25-30 suspects” from the bombings remain at large, calling them “active members”. “We have already identified all active members of the group and it’s a case of now arresting them,” he added.

Sri Lanka has declared a curfew in Negombo, after a reported clash between a Sinhalese and Muslim group in the town earlier today.

Armed Sri Lankan troops were deployed to the scene as crowds began to gather along Thakkiya Road in Poruthota.

The Sri Lankan military arrested a man in Vavuniya earlier this week, after troops conducted search operations across several villages and homes, including of a Hindu temple.

Homes in Kovilkulam and Kovilputhukulam were searched by heavily armed Sri Lankan soldiers, as operations continue across the North-East. Vehicles were also stopped and searched throughout the week.

Tamil civil society groups condemned the Easter Sunday attacks targeting Christians in Sri Lanka last week, as well as calling for “empathy and solidarity” with Muslim groups who face persecution on the island.

The statement, signed by eight different organisations, said the groups “express our wholehearted solidarity and support to our Christian communities, targeted in this cowardly act of violence by extremists”.

The United Kingdom has offered to help Sri Lanka set up a central intelligence body similar to the Joint Terrorism Analysing Centre in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings by Islamist extremists supportive of Islamic State. 

Sri Lankan immigration authorities have deport over 600 people for alleged visa violations since the Easter Sunday bombings. 

The figure includes those authorities say were working as Islamic preachers despite entering the country on a tourist visa. 

An Immigration Department official reportedly told the Sunday Times, "at least 200 foreigners were in involved in Islamic preaching in Sri Lanka". 

Their visas were issued on the recommendations of the Muslim Affairs Ministry, the official added.

Visas were issued by the Immigration Department following security clearance by the Ministry of Defence. 

The owner of a tea shop at the University of Jaffna was arrested by Sri Lankan security forces, accused of keeping a photograph of the medical student who fasted unto death, Thileepan. 

<p>The families of disappeared co-ordinator in Mullaitivu has slammed the Sri Lankan government for the scapegoating of former LTTE cadres over the murder of two police officers&nbsp;in Batticaloa last year, after recent revelations that the murders may have been linked to Islamist extremists who also carried out terror attacks on Easter Sunday.</p> <p>Co-ordinator Mariasuresh Easwari said the government must be held accountable for the injustice of the two former cadres’ detention which has been ongoing for over&nbsp;five months. The government must also answer for the suffering the families of the detained former cadres have experience, Easwari said.</p>

According to reports in a Lebanese website, Al Ahed News, Saudia Arabia alerted its envoy in Colombo about the Easter Sunday bombings five days before the attacks.