Four days after suicide bombers killed over 300 people in Sri Lanka tensions are running high, with fears of further attacks as well as retaliation against Muslims.

The country remained on high alert on Wednesday when bomb-disposal squads carried out a controlled explosion on two suspicious motorbikes and a parcel left unattended in different locations in central Colombo. A police spokesperson said that there were no explosives found.

Despite a government ban on social media, videos and messages alerting people about more attacks and alleged arrests of further suicide bombers targeting public places fuelled further panic.

A synchronised attack targeting churches and hotels on Easter Sunday killed at least 349 people, leaving another 500 injured.

On Wednesday the police spokesperson said that the attacks were carried out by eight suicide bombers, while one woman, the wife of one of the bombers, detonated herself when the police raided the residence. Officials said they believe the attackers had links with the international Isis terrorist organisation.

Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA

The heart of Colombo’s trading hub, the Pettah market, came to standstill on Wednesday, with most of the Muslim shops, which make up about 50 per cent of the businesses, closed by afternoon.

Banks and the Colombo municipality in the area also closed three hours ahead. Commuters were stranded as most of the private buses, the most common mode of transport, had stopped operating since Sunday’s attack. The streets of Colombo were empty long before the 10pm curfew was imposed.

The eerily quiet Pettah market, usually a hub of activity, marked the tension that has gripped Sri Lanka since the attacks. Owners of the few businesses that were open said that business was down by 75 to 85 per cent since Sunday’s attacks. A long-term impact, they say, could cripple the country’s economy.

Special forces prepare to defuse a suspected bomb in Colombo on Wednesday (EPA)

“Everybody is feeling fear all the time,” said Deen Thahir, 58, an industrial hardware trader at the market for more than 30 years. “They are afraid to stay open late as there could be (more) attacks.

“Muslims are afraid,” said Mr Thahir. “Look – I have a beard, so when I go out on the road I get stopped immediately by the police. It was never like this before. Now there is a black mark against us, and you cannot easily erase that. It could take years, even decades.”

Similar sentiments are echoed by other traders in the market. “Like everyone else, we Muslims are scared to come out of our houses. We don’t feel comfortable – how could we? These were terrorists but it comes under the name of Muslims,” said 33-year-old Rimzi, a bathroom supplies trader.

Rizmi said his family members, especially the women, are afraid to go out. “Some of my sisters cover [their faces], but if it is a matter of security then they would take it off. But they would rather just stay at home than go out and risk trouble,” he said.

Sri Lankan security personnel stand guard around the house of one of the suspected suicide bombers in Colombo (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

The Muslim community remains worried that although relations between religious communities have been peaceful, they might become targets.

Azwer Mohideen, a steel trader, said that some of the Muslim businesses decided to close early “out of solidarity, as the entire country is mourning”.

He also stated that there is a “general state of panic” in the country. “We keep hearing stories of lorries, trucks, motorbikes, roaming the city with explosives. Registration numbers to watch out for are being circulated on radio and social media. With these kinds of messages, how could people not be scared?” asked Mr Mohideen.

The community also remains shocked with emerging details of the suicide bombers – western-educated, wealthy young men from prominent trading families.

“I have been speaking to the spice traders’ community, they cannot believe these two brothers got involved,” said Mr Mohideen, referring to the wealthy Ibraheem brothers who were two of the suicide bombers and sons of a spice trader.

While the Muslim community called political and religious leaders to join hands, to come out and educate the public, a Sri Lankan parliamentarian has proposed a ban on women wearing the burqa in the wake of the bombings.

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Ashu Marasinghe submitted a private member’s motion to parliament stating that the garment, which covers the whole body and the face, was “not a traditional Muslim attire” and should be outlawed on security grounds.

Although the suicide bombers of Sunday’s attack were all men, there have been reports of women in burqa not being allowed into some shops and supermarkets the past two days.

The Islamic affairs minister called a ban on burqas “a sensitive issue” and one that needed to be handled “carefully”.

“But right now our nation’s security is of utmost importance, as a community we must be mindful of and support the security forces in every way possible,” the minister, Mohammed Hashim Abdul Haleem, told The Independent.

However, the minister said that the government needs to be cautious “not to isolate a segment of the Muslim community, cornering them into extremism”.

Indian Muslims in New Delhi pay tribute to the victims of the Sri Lankan terror attacks (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

The call for a burqa ban, said the minister, should not create “a breeding ground for further terrorism”.

The minister also cited the country’s past failure “in bringing normal civilians onto our side”.

“We created more terrorists,” he said, referring to the country’s bloody past where thousands of Tamil men and women joined the Tamil Tiger rebels and waged a terrorist war that lasted three decades and cost 100,000 lives.

Mr Haleem said that as a government organisation, the Muslim Affairs Ministry cannot issue regulations to keep or take the burqa off. “But it is our responsibility to coordinate with the Muslim leaders and the community and come to a consensus with security of the entire nation as our top priority,” he said. “The time is ripe to have a dialogue on the matter of the burqa.”

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Mufti MIM Rizwe, the president of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, a body which in past years has condemned previous bans on burqa in Sri Lanka, said that the country has “more urgent matters to attend to than the burqa”.

“We need to ban terror groups first,” said Mr Rizwe. “Members of this terror group who commit atrocities in the name of God and the Quran should be apprehended and punished mercilessly according to law. That should be our priority,” he said, adding that choice of clothing is an individual’s “right”.

Other Muslim societies, including the Sri Lanka Thauheedh Jamath (SLTJ), which denies any links with the National Thauheedh Jamath group the suicide bombers belonged to, said that they stand with the call for the burqa ban.

“Nowhere does it say in Islam to cover a woman’s face. There’s no proof in it,” said SLTJ secretary Mohamed Faseeh.