NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The seaside Sri Lankan fishing town of Negombo has long been called "Little Rome," a reference to its many churches and its place at the center of the country's small Catholic community.

But it was also known for its tolerance. It has a well-known Buddhist temple and a mosque famed for its beauty. The Hindu god Rama is said to have been nearby before his great battle with the demon-king Ravana.

During Sri Lanka's bloody civil war, Negombo, about an hour north of the capital, Colombo, was largely spared violence.

But that changed Sunday when a bomb ripped through Negombo's St. Sebastian's Church, one of a half-dozen attacks on churches and high-end hotels that killed nearly 300 people. At least 110 were killed at St. Sebastian's, the day's deadliest attack.