Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the terror attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 359 people and left more than 500 injured.
“The attackers, who targeted citizens of the (anti-ISIS) coalition state members and Christians in Sri Lanka the day before yesterday, were fighters of the Islamic State,” ISIS’ AMAQ news agency said in a statement on Tuesday, according to international media reports.
Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said in a news conference today that Sunday’s suicide bombers had been inspired by ISIS, and may have received funding from the terrorist group.
Speaking in Colombo, Wijewardene shared the information that the bombers were “well educated” individuals, as some of them studied in the UK and Australia. The minister said one of the nine bombers involved in Sunday’s attacks was a woman.
“The group included two brothers, and a husband and wife, who blew herself up on Sunday when police closed in on a house in Colombo,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told the media, adding that eight of the attackers have been identified and 60 people have been detained in connection with the plot.
One of the Sri Lankan suicide bombers was caught on film as he blew up 67 innocent worshippers. The footage shows the extremist casually strolling into St Sebastian church in Negombo, carrying a bomb inside a rucksack.
“At the end of the mass, my family saw one young man go into the church with a heavy bag. He touched my granddaughter’s head on the way past. It was the bomber,” witness Dilip Fernando told the online news site, Mirror.
Sri Lankan Muslim associations have called upon authorities to arrest the perpetrators of the Easter bombings.
All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the Muslim Council, Jama’athe Islami, the Memon Association of Sri Lanka and Anjuman-E Saifi said in their joint statement that “…neither the National Thawheed Jamaath nor those who carried out the attacks represent Islam or reflect Muslim beliefs… extremism in the name of Islam does not represent the religion.”
“Some Intelligence officers did not inform the ministers”
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday that repeated
warnings from intelligence services about the attacks had not been shared
with him because of a “breakdown in communication” between his office and
the president’s.
“Some top intelligence officials hid the intelligence information purposefully. Information was there, but the top brass security officials did not take appropriate action,” Minister of Public Enterprise Lakshman Kiriella told parliament, Reuters reported.
US denies intelligence sharing
Speaking to CNN, Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution Dr. Harsha de Silva claimed that the US and India warned Sri Lanka of imminent attacks before the Easter bombings.
However, the US ambassador in Colombo, Alaina Teplitz, denied de Silva’s claim and explained to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that the US did not provide Sri Lanka with advance intelligence warnings before the attack. Teplitz noted that they had no prior knowledge of this attack.
The post ISIS claims responsibility for Sri Lanka attack as death toll rises to 359 appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/04/24/isis-claims-responsibility-for-sri-lanka-attack-as-death-toll-rises-to-359/
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