The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives when police entered a house in a northern suburb of the capital Colombo to carry out a search.

The upper floor of the house collapsed in the blast, killing the police officers.

The blast was the latest in a string targeting mostly hotels and churches that have killed around 160 people in a single day.

Minutes ago, Sri Lankan police on Sunday reported there had been an eight explosion, in the suburb of Orugodawatta, north of the capital, but there were no further details on what was targeted.

Earlier, a seventh explosion was heard in Dehiwela, at a hotel near the national zoo.

The explosion is the fourth at a hotel, following six blasts reported at hotels and churches earlier in the day.

“There was an explosion in a hotel in Dehiwela near the zoo,” a police official told Reuters, adding that no further details were available.

An eyewitness on local TV said he saw some body parts, including a severed head, lying on the ground near the hotel. Zoo officials declared the zoo closed after the blast.