Minister Harin Fernando stated that the country's intelligence agencies had received prior warnings about the terrorist attacks that took place earlier today. 

"Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. What my father heard was also from an intelligence officer. Serious action needs to be taken as to why this warning was ignored. I was in Badulla last night," Fernando tweeted, a short while ago. 

Fernando previously said that his father, who was receiving treatment at Nawaloka, warned him not to attend Easter Sunday masses this morning, due to rumours of possible terror attacks targeting Christian religious places of worship.

The Minister also added to the tweet a letter that was widely circulated on social media indicating that the Police had received prior warnings about the attacks. The spokespersons of the government previously claimed that the letter was fake.

Fernando, in his tweet, indicated that the letter was real and the authorities did not adequately pursue the matter. 

The Prime Minister, speaking to the media a short while ago, also stated that the government would investigate why adequate action was not taken by the Police to prevent an attack, despite prior warnings. 

The Prime Minister's statement lends credence to the document that is being circulated on Facebook indicating that the Police had information about a possible terror attack targeting religious places and the Indian High Commission of Colombo. The government previously announced that the document was not authentic.