A series of explosions at churches and hotels across Sri Lanka has seen at least 156 people killed.

According to the BBC, the attacks which took place on the morning of Easter Sunday (April 21), targeted three churches in Kochchikade, Negombo, and Batticaloa during their Easter services.

Three hotels -- the Shangri La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels -- were also attacked in Colombo.

The death toll has continued to rise as more reports from the South Asian nation are released.

Hundreds of people have also been injured, on top of the 156 people confirmed to have died in the six explosions according to the AFP.

At the time of writing, no group has yet claimed responsibility.

Politicians respond

Sri Lanka's prime minister has taken to Twitter to condemn the attacks.

I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.

— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) April 21, 2019

In his tweet, he urged all Sri Lankans to "remain united and strong" while noting that the "the government is taking immediate steps to contain the situation".

Sri Lanka's economic reforms minister Harsha de Silva also provided updates on Twitter.

Horrible scenes. I saw many body parts strewn all over. Emergency crews are at all locations in full force. We, at 1990 also have close to 20 units at the various locations. We took multiple casualties to hospital. Hopefully saved many lives.

— Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) April 21, 2019

He confirmed that an emergency meeting involving the secretaries of defence and foreign affairs -- along with heads of the army, air force and navy -- had convened to address the situation.

According to him, casualties from the blasts included foreigners.

He also reported seeing "many body parts strewn all over".

Sri Lanka's finance minister Mangala Samaraweera said the attacks seemed to be a "well-coordinated attempt to create murder, mayhem, and anarchy".

Easter Sunday bomb blasts in churches & hotels, killing many innocent people seems to be a well coordinated attempt to create murder,mayhem & anarchy.All those who cherish democracy,freedom & economic prosperity must unite now with nerves of steel to defeat this heinous attempt.

— Mangala Samaraweera (@MangalaLK) April 21, 2019

Singapore's Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin also spoke out against the attacks, calling them "barbaric".

In fact, the string of attacks doesn't appear to have subsided just yet, with a BBC reporter tweeting that another hotel seems to have been targeted.

History of violence

These latest attacks have come after a spate of religiously fuelled violence in 2018.

According to the BBC, crowds of Sri Lankans who were part of the Buddhist Sinhala majority attacked a mosque, Muslim-owned shops, and homes.

The attacks in 2018 forced Sri Lankan authorities to declare a national state of emergency.

Sad how some have no respect for the dead. Why can’t we not circulate photos of the dead? Also some are desperately working on creating racial disharmony. This is despicable. Please stop hate posts on social media. If not it will have to be stopped in the interest of peace.

— Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) April 21, 2019

De Silva called any attempt to create racial disharmony in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks "despicable".

Update: A curfew has been set at 6pm and will last till 6am (Sri Lanka time)

Another explosion, the eight of the day, has been heard in Colombo.

Another explosion reported from Dematagoda, Colombo. 8th of the day

— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) April 21, 2019

Here's a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Singapore Government strongly condemns the heinous acts of violence in Sri Lanka, which led to significant loss of civilian lives.

We convey our condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and our wishes for speedy recovery of those injured. MFA has reached out to Singaporeans who are e-registered in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Thus far, there are no reports of Singaporean casualties in the incidents. The Singapore Honorary Consulate-General in Colombo is in close contact with the Sri Lankan authorities and is monitoring the situation closely.

Singaporeans in Colombo should remain vigilant, follow the advice of the local authorities, stay in touch with their family and friends so that they know you are safe. Singaporeans who require consular assistance can contact the Honorary Consulate-General in Colombo at +94 77 00 44 868 or the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at +65 6379 8800/8855."

Top image from Sebastianchurch150 Facebook