Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Bombings in Sri Lanka's Churches and Hotels That Killed Over 320
In a statement released through its propaganda wing, the Amaq news agency, ISIS said the blasts were the work of “fighters of the Islamic State”, but did not provide any proof to substantiate its claim.
Security personnel stand guard outside St. Anthony Shrine in Colombo, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on Easter Sunday. (Photo Credit: REUTERS)
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New Delhi: The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the series of blasts at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that led to the killing of 321 people and wounded over 500.
In a statement released through its propaganda wing, the Amaq agency, ISIS said the blasts were the work of “fighters of the Islamic State”, but did not provide any proof to substantiate its claim.
The group said it was targeting citizens of countries bombing its territories, as well as Christians.
"A security source told Amaq agency the perpetrators of the attack targeting the citizens of [US-led] coalition countries and Christians in Sri Lanka were soldiers of the Islamic State," it said.
The wording of ISIS claim is similar to that for previous atrocities that were thought to be inspired by the group but not directly orchestrated by it.
US intelligence sources had said the attacks carried some of the hallmarks of the Islamic State militant group.
The island nation's junior minister for defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, had earlier in the day informed the country's parliament that two local Islamist outfits - the National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - were responsible for the blasts early on Sunday. They were carried out by at least seven suicide bombers, on three churches and four hotels.
The minister said the initial investigation has revealed that the attacks were in retaliation for the New Zealand mosque attack of March 15, but did not elaborate on why authorities believed there was a link to the killing of 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament investigators were looking into foreign links, a day after investigative agencies said that an "international network" may have helped the local outfits.
Forty suspects, including the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide bombers, have been arrested in connection with the attacks so far.
In a statement released through its propaganda wing, the Amaq agency, ISIS said the blasts were the work of “fighters of the Islamic State”, but did not provide any proof to substantiate its claim.
The group said it was targeting citizens of countries bombing its territories, as well as Christians.
"A security source told Amaq agency the perpetrators of the attack targeting the citizens of [US-led] coalition countries and Christians in Sri Lanka were soldiers of the Islamic State," it said.
The wording of ISIS claim is similar to that for previous atrocities that were thought to be inspired by the group but not directly orchestrated by it.
US intelligence sources had said the attacks carried some of the hallmarks of the Islamic State militant group.
The island nation's junior minister for defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, had earlier in the day informed the country's parliament that two local Islamist outfits - the National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - were responsible for the blasts early on Sunday. They were carried out by at least seven suicide bombers, on three churches and four hotels.
The minister said the initial investigation has revealed that the attacks were in retaliation for the New Zealand mosque attack of March 15, but did not elaborate on why authorities believed there was a link to the killing of 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament investigators were looking into foreign links, a day after investigative agencies said that an "international network" may have helped the local outfits.
Forty suspects, including the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide bombers, have been arrested in connection with the attacks so far.