Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday said his government is committed to dispelling the "darkness of religious terrorism" and restoring security and peace in the country, as Christians celebrated the Christmas amidst unprecedented security arrangements across the island nation.
The Christmas services in churches across the country were held amidst heavy security arrangements due to the situation arising out of the Easter Sunday bombings in which nearly 270 people were killed in the coordinated suicide attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21.
Conveying his Christmas wishes to the nation, Rajapaksa requested all Christians in Sri Lanka to exercise their freedom of worship, without allowing extremist forces to succeed in suppressing that freedom.
