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Showing posts from April, 2019

Bomb Attacks in Sri Lanka: Who, How, Why

Sri Lankan police were on high alert for last two weeks, fearing that suicide bombers, supposedly from National Thowheeth Jama’ath, might strike prominent churches during the Easter. Two foreign intelligence agencies also reported in early April that radical Muslims those came back from Syria are planning to carry out suicide attacks at prominent churches and high commissions in Colombo.  The police increased security around important establishments including churches but could not prevent the deadliest attack in the history of the country since the end of the civil war in 2009. Earlier this year, in January, the police seized a cache of explosives and detonators and arrested four members of National Thowheeth Jama’ath following an intelligent information. This time the perpetrators slipped through. At least 208 people were killed and 450 were hurt in the explosions at churches and high-end hotels on Sunday, 21 April. Perpetrators were all Sri Lankan nationals. The founder of