The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the dastardly Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka that saw over 321 people dead and more than 500 injured across 8 locations in and around Colombo.
As per reports, the ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Sri Lanka. However, the group has not given any evidence or links over the claim. The group’s AMAQ news agency has stated the claim.
#IslamicState (#ISIS) has claimed responsibility for coordinated bombings in #SriLanka which killed 321 people and injured about 500 others, the group’s AMAQ news agency said on Tuesday.https://t.co/RvQU2hZYKb
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) April 23, 2019
The AMAQ news agency is a news outlet linked with the ISIS and is a part of their propaganda machinery. It is often used to claim responsibilities for attacks and issue warnings from the terror group.
CCTV footage Video of Srilanka attack suspect ISIS bomber:
The AMAQ message reportedly states that the Easter Sunday attacks were carried out by soldiers of IS in Sri Lanka against the citizens of coalition partners against the IS and Christians.
Rough translation of AMAQ statement:
“Soldiers of Islamic State carried out the attack against citizens of the coalition partners against IS and the Christians in Sri Lanka” pic.twitter.com/t48iSsXV6Q
— F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) April 23, 2019
The Sri Lankan government had yesterday stated that a domestic terror outfit the National Thowheed Jama’ath is responsible for the attacks. The radical Islamist outfit was accused of carrying out the attacks on the Sri Lankan capital in unprecedented coordination.
The Sri Lankan government had also admitted to a ‘colossal intelligence failure’, stating that the government had indeed received warnings about the attacks but failed to stop them. Reports have stated that India had alerted Sri Lanka over possible terror attacks on April 4.
Sri Lankan minister Renjitha Senaratne had stated yesterday, “We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country. There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.”
In the meanwhile, a CCTV footage has surfaced in the media where the suspected suicide bomber is seen walking into the St Sebastian Church.
#WATCH Colombo: CCTV footage of suspected suicide bomber (carrying a backpack) walking into St Sebastian church on Easter Sunday. #SriLankaBombings (Video courtesy- Siyatha TV) pic.twitter.com/YAe089D72h
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019
Today, their deputy defence minister has stated that the attacks in Sri Lanka is in retaliation to the Christchurch attacks last month.
