(Removes extraneous words from paragraph 2)
* remain away from churches, mosques - religious leaders
* principal says police seeking 140 with links ought Islamic State
* Sri Lanka can edge, with warnings more attacks possible
* about 10,000 army deployed during searches, security work
* Muslims cause away at terrify of retaliatory attacks
By Sanjeev Miglani and Ranga Sirilal
COLOMBO, April 26 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan police are trying ought chase down 140 nation believed linked ought Islamic State, which claimed obligation during the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 253, during shooting erupted at the east during a raid.
Muslims at Sri Lanka were urged ought implore at family after the condition news Services warned of feasible bus bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence.
And the U.S. Embassy at Sri Lanka urged its citizens ought flee places of worship can the weekend after authorities reported there could exist more attacks targeting religious centers.
Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told reporters he had seen a leaked interior security paper warning of farther attacks can churches and there used to exist no Catholic group this Sunday anywhere can the island.
The streets of Colombo were deserted can Friday evening, with many nation leaving offices early amid tight security after the suicide bombing attacks can three churches and four hotels that also wounded about 500 people.
President Maithripala Sirisena told reporters some Sri Lankan youths had been involved with Islamic condition during 2013. He said data uncovered so far suggested there were 140 nation at Sri Lanka involved at Islamic condition activities.
"Police are looking ought arrest them," Sirisena said.
Nearly 10,000 soldiers were deployed along the Indian sea island condition ought bring out searches and equip security during religious centers, the military said can Friday.
The full Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lanka's capital Islamic religious body, urged Muslims ought accompany prayers at family at illustration "there is a need ought defend family and properties."
Illustrating the stress that has gripped the country, shooting erupted amid security troops and a gang of men at the east during a search and cordon operation, a military spokesman said.
The raid took put at the city of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa. The spokesman said there was an explosion at the region and while soldiers went ought examine they were fired upon. no details of casualties were at once available.
Police eat detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, at their investigations so far.
Islamic condition provided no proof ought back its ask that it was after the attacks. if true, it used to exist one of the worst attacks carried out by the gang outside Iraq and Syria.
The extremist gang released a video can Tuesday showing eight men, anything besides one with their faces covered, standing beneath a dark Islamic condition flag and declaring their loyalty ought its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
DEFENCE, POLICE CHIEFS QUIT
The government said nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers carried out the attacks, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman.
Authorities eat so far focused their investigations can international links ought two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they trust carried out the attacks.
Government officials eat acknowledged a principal lapse at no widely sharing an news warning from India ago the attacks.
Sirisena said sumit defense and police chiefs had no shared data with him about the impending attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned can the failure ought barrier the attacks.
"The police main said he will resign now," Sirisena said.
He blamed majestic Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government during weakening the news system by focusing can the prosecution of military officers can alleged endeavour crimes during a decade-long polite endeavour with Tamil separatists that ended at 2009.
Sirisena fired Wickremesinghe at October can political differences, only ought reinstate him weeks afterward beneath stress from the Supreme Court.
Opposing factions aligned ought Wickremesinghe and Sirisena eat always refused ought communicate with each other and reproach any setbacks can their opponents, government sources say.
Cardinal Ranjith said that the church had been kept at the sorrowful about news warning of attacks.
“We didn’t know anything. It came during a thunderbolt during us,” he said.
The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed at Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka during the polite endeavour against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended.
Sri Lanka's 22 million nation include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had greatly managed ought flee the worst of the island's shock and communal tensions.
Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, though authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down ought breakfast at top-end hotels while the bombers struck.
They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals can Thursday ought flee Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary.
Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence eat already caused Muslim communities ought cause away their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps.
But at the Kollupitiya Jumma Masjid mosque, tucked away at a Colombo side street, hundreds attended a service they talk was focused can a summon during nation of full religions ought help answer peace ought Sri Lanka.
"It's a identical sorrowful situation," said 28-year-old sales workman Raees Ulhaq, during soldiers hurried can dawdling worshippers and sniffer dogs nosed their method along pot-holed lanes.
"We task with Christians, Buddhists, Hindus. It has been a hazard during full of us during of what these few nation eat done ought this beautiful country."
(Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani and Joe Brock Writing by Michael Perry Editing by Paul Tait and Nick Macfie)
