ISIS Claims Responsibility for Sri Lanka Massacre
The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for killing and wounding hundreds of people in Sri Lanka, stating that the attacks were directed against “nationals of countries in the anti-ISIS coalition and Christians.” The death toll has reached 321 people.
The “Amaq” news site, affiliated with the “Islamic State” group (ISIS), wrote that the attacks on Sunday, the 1st of Ordibehesht (April 21) were carried out by members of this group. The terrorist group did not release any evidence to support this claim.
The Sri Lankan government had previously identified an Islamist group called “National Monotheism Congregation” as responsible for the crime, but this group has not yet responded to the accusation.
As a result of these suicide operations, which took place at three churches and three hotels in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and the city of Negombo, 321 people were killed and around 500 were wounded. 45 of the victims are children.
A number of the killed and wounded were citizens of Australia, the United States, Britain, Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and India.
According to Sri Lankan security officials, two of the suicide bombers were brothers and members of the “National Monotheism Congregation” who formed a terrorist cell within their own family. They were under 30 years old and their father is a wealthy pharmaceutical merchant.
These two brothers rented rooms at the “Shangri-La” and “Cinnamon Grand” hotels on Saturday and detonated themselves during breakfast on Sunday morning.
What connection they had with the other suicide bombers remains unclear.
Police have so far arrested 40 people in connection with this case.
A Bomb That Detonated Later
The French news agency reported, citing investigators, that another hotel was also targeted by the attackers, but the bomber’s explosive device did not detonate on Sunday. It is unclear whether the failure to detonate was intentional or if the terrorist faced a technical problem.
This person detonated himself after being pursued by police, killing two bystanders as well.
On Monday, police officers discovered a car bomb near one of the churches that had been attacked. The car exploded while the bomb was being defused.
Eighty-seven bomb devices have also been discovered in Colombo.
Source: DW
