‘Mother of Satan’ bombs show foreign hand in Sri Lanka bombings, says investigators
ONE month after the Sri Lanka suicide attacks that killed more than 250 people, investigators have said the bombers used “Mother of Satan” explosives favoured by the Islamic State group that are a new sign of foreign involvement.
Detectives said the backpack bombs used in the April 21 attacks on three churches and three hotels were manufactured by local militants with Islamic State expertise.
They named the explosive as triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, an unstable but easily made mixture favoured by Islamic State militants who call it “Mother of Satan”.
”They would have had a face-to-face meeting to transfer this technology. This is not something you can do by watching a YouTube video,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Investigators had initially believed that C4 explosives a favoured weapon of Tamil Tiger rebels–were used, but forensic tests found TATP which causes more burning than C4.
Police have also confirmed that 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of explosives found in January in the island’s northwest was TATP.
Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said last week that at least two suspects have been arrested in some countries, underscoring the international link.