Islamic State claims it was behind Sri Lanka slaughter
The Islamic State claimed responsibility Tuesday for a series of bombings at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 321 and injured 500.
The terrorist group made the claim through its Amaq News Agency. Its statement, two days after the attacks, came after a senior government official said the suicide bombings were “in retaliation” for mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand last month.
Neither the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, nor the Sri Lankan government offered any evidence.
Monday, Sri Lankan Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said seven members of the radical Muslim organization National Thowfeek Jamaath – a littleknown domestic militant group that might have international ties – were behind the attacks.
ISIS, which has made unsupported claims of responsibility in previous strikes, released an image purportedly showing the leader of the attackers standing amid seven others whose faces are covered.
The identities of those in the image could not be independently verified, but CNN reported the man whose face can be seen is National Thowfeek Jamaath leader Zahran Hashim, also known as Mohammed Zahran. The network said his name was revealed to Indian authorities by a suspected ISIS member who had been arrested.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said investigators were determining the extent of the bombers’ foreign ties. “This could not have been done just locally,” Wickremesinghe said. “There had been training given and a coordination which we are not seeing earlier.”
The ISIS claim said, “The perpetrators of the attack that targeted nationals of the countries of the coalitions and Christians in Sri Lanka before yesterday are fighters from the Islamic State.”
Sri Lankan Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene told the country’s parliament the Easter bombings were “in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch,” according to the Independent, a British online newspaper.
Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded in the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15 during Friday prayers. Brenton Tarrant, 28, a self-described white supremacist from Australia, was charged in the shootings.
Regarding retaliation, the office of New Zealand’s prime minister said it hadn’t “seen any intelligence upon which such an assessment might be based,” The Associated Press reported.
International intelligence agencies warned Sri Lankan officials of a possible attack April 4, and the Defense Ministry included the name of National Thowfeek Jamaath in a warning to the police chief on April 9, Senaratne said Monday.
Senaratne said Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet were unaware of the intelligence until after the attacks because of political dysfunction. Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena have been feuding.
In a live address to the nation late Tuesday, Sirisena said he was kept in the dark on the intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to “take stern action” against the officials who failed to share the information. He pledged “a complete restructuring” of the security forces.
Wickremesinghe warned there are more explosives and militants “out there.”
Police had arrested 40 suspects as of early Tuesday, including the driver of a van allegedly used by suicide bombers.
A total of nine bombings took place Sunday, and at least four Americans were among the dead, the U.S. State Department said.
The United Nations children’s agency said at least 45 minors were killed. Contributing: Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY; The Associated Press