US calls for unity in Sri Lanka

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz has called for unity in the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks that killed at least 359 people, including four American citizens.

Noting the progress Sri Lanka has made in building trust and ties among people of different faiths and ethnicities over the last few years, she urged Sri Lankans to remain unified, said a statement from the US embassy here.

"These terrible attacks are the work of a few individuals and not of an entire community," Teplitz said. "Sri Lankans of all backgrounds and faiths have come together to condemn these atrocities. Unity is the most powerful answer to terrorism."

The Ambassador said that expert teams from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) were providing support to the Sri Lanka-led investigation into the attacks.

"We want to provide all possible support to Sri Lanka's efforts and are assisting at the invitation of the government," she added.

"Conspiracy theories about the involvement of the US military draw attention away from where it should be focused, which is firmly on the victims and their families."

--IANS

mr/