Sri Lanka's President shakes up security forces

Sri Lanka's President has shaken up the country's top security establishment after officials failed to act on intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before the Easter bombings that killed over 350 people.

The capital of Colombo remained rattled by reports that police were still conducting controlled detonations of suspicious items three days after the attacks on churches and luxury hotels.

And the US ambassador to the country says Washington believes "the terrorist plotting is ongoing."

President Maithripala Sirisena's office said he asked for the resignations of the defence secretary and national police chief in a dramatic internal shake-up. He did not say who would replace them.

Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on the intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to "take stern action" against officials who failed to share it.

Government leaders have acknowledged some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings that struck three churches and three luxury hotels. The death toll rose Wednesday to 359, with 500 people wounded.

Isis (Islamic State) has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack, which struck churches and hotels in the island nation. A Sri Lankan official has blamed breakaway members of two obscure local extremist Muslim groups.

A British security official has confirmed a report identifying one of the Sri Lanka suicide bombers as a man who studied in Britain between 2006 and 2007.

The official confirmed a report by Sky News identifying the man as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed.

The official said that British intelligence officers were not watching Mohamed during his stay in the country.

The family of Lorraine Campbell, a British victim of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, has paid tribute to her.

Campbell, 55, who was originally from Manchester but lived in Dubai, died in the bombing of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo.

Campbell, who worked in technology, was described by her husband Neil Evans as a "real tour de force."

He says, "I've lost my best friend in the world for all the adventures we shared and planned for the future."

- AP