IS identifies man behind Sri Lanka attacks
Print Edition
THE Islamic State group has released a photo of the man the Sri Lanka government has identified as the leader of the Easter attacks, asserting its claim of responsibility for the assault which killed more than 320 people.
The group released the photo last evening through its Aamaq news agency.
Sri Lankan authorities have blamed two local Islamist groups — the National Thawheed Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim — for the blasts.
Jamaath’s leader, Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi, became known to Muslim leaders three years ago for his incendiary speeches online.
The IS detailed where each attacker was allegedly deployed. It gave only the nom de guerre of each attacker and didn’t specify their nationalities.
The group, which has lost all the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria, has made a series of unsupported claims of responsibility.
It offered no photographs or videos of attackers pledging their loyalty to the group, which often have accompanied such claims.
The militant group said six were suicide bombers who “immersed” themselves among the victims before blowing up their vests. It said one attacker clashed with police in Dematagoda.
The group said the attackers targeted citizens of the US-led coalition fighting IS and referred to Easter as an “infidel holiday.”
Footage on CNN showed what it said was one of the bombers wearing a heavy backpack. The man patted a child on the head before entering the Gothic-style St Sebastian church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo.
Earlier yesterday, a Sri Lankan official said the bombings were a retaliation for attacks on mosques in New Zealand. “The initial investigation has revealed that this was in retaliation for the New Zealand mosque attack,” junior minister for defence Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament.
A lone gunman killed 50 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch during Friday prayers on March 15.
US intelligence sources has said the attacks carried some of the hallmarks of Islamic State.
Sri Lanka had received a tip-off from India this month about a possible attack on churches.
Early yesterday, Sri Lankan government and military sources said a Syrian had been detained among 40 people being questioned over the bombs.
“He was arrested after the interrogation of local suspects,” one of the sources said, referring to the unidentified Syrian.
Yesterday was a national day of mourning and the funerals of some of the victims were held.
The UN Children’s Fund said 45 children were among the dead.
Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned yesterday that there were more explosives and militants “out there.” He said some officials will likely lose their jobs over intelligence lapses surrounding the attack.
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