Pope condemns Sri Lanka Easter attacks as 'such cruel violence'

Pope Francis gestures as he leads the Easter Mass at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 21, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday condemned attacks that killed at least 138 people in three churches and four hotels in Sri Lanka as "such cruel violence" and said he was close to the Christian community, hit while celebrating Easter.

The blasts, which hospital and police officials said wounded more than 400 people, followed a lull in major attacks since the end of the civil war 10 years ago.