Colombo: Sri Lankan security forces raided a hideout in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood in the Eastern province on Friday evening, triggering a standoff with heavily-armed men believed to be linked to the deadly Easter attacks.
Police spokesman said at least one suicide bomber blew himself up during the shootout in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 325 kms from Colombo. They have seized a large haul of explosives, a drone and a banner with the Islamic State logo.
“Garbs similar to that which were worn in the video displaying IS members in Sri Lanka, along with an identical IS backdrop in the video was discovered during the raid,” a cop said. Hours after the deadly blasts, police launched a manhunt to nab the perpetrators and so far arrested over 70 suspects, including five women.
Mastermind died in hotel bombing: Prez
Sri Lankan Islamist extremist Zahran Hashim (in pic), said to be the top leader of an IS-linked local militant group that carried out the Easter Sunday bombings, died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel, President Maithripala Sirisena said.
Hashim, the head of extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ), led the attack on the hotel and was accompanied by a second bomber, Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim. Hashim was killed in the bombings, the President said in Colombo.
India’s NIA during a probe into an ISIS-inspired module plot to kill prominent leaders in south India had stumbled upon videos of Hashim, indicating a terror attack on the Indian High Commission in Colombo. The videos showed Hashim asking youths from Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to establish an Islamic rule in the region.
Indian is 3rd Dubai expat killed in blasts
The Consul General of India to Dubai, Vipul has confirmed that Juno Srivastava, the missing Dubai-based Indian expatriate, was killed in Sri Lanka’s bombings.
Srivastava checked into the the Cinnamon Grand Hotel on April 20, along with his colleague British colleague Lorraine Campbell, who was confirmed dead by her family members on Wednesday. A total of two Dubai-based Indians were killed in Lanka. Razeena Kukkady (58) and Juno (42),” Vipul told the Khaleej Times on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Sirisena said Friday over 130 suspects linked to the IS group have been operating in Sri Lanka.
The President said several suspects have already been arrested, and the terror network will be completely eliminated from Sri Lanka.
“Information is that around 130-140 ISIS suspects linked to the terror network are in Sri Lanka. Around 70 are arrested, we will arrest them all very soon ending this (terror),” Sirisena said.
In another development, IG of Police Pujith Jayasundara resigned over security failures leading to serial blasts in Lanka. Meanwhile, the govt warned anyone found guilty of spreading fake news and false propaganda about the blasts may be jailed for 3-5 years.
