Over 130 IS-linked suspects in Lanka: Prez Sirisena
Colombo: Over 130 suspects linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group have been operating in Sri Lanka, President Maithripala Sirisena said Friday, days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for the Easter bombings that claimed the lives of 253 people.
The president said that several suspects have already been arrested following the Easter Sunday attacks, 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.
Speaking further, the president said the Defence Secretary and Inspector General of Police had failed in their duties and that is why he called for their resignation.
He said that they had failed to share prior information obtained by them over a possible terror attack in the country.
The president added that he and the entire Government will also take the full responsibility for the attacks.
Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando have resigned from their posts over the security establishment's alleged failures which led to the attacks on three hotels and three churches on Sunday.
"The IGP has resigned. He has sent his resignation to the acting defense secretary. I'll nominate a new IGP soon," the president said.
The police chief's resignation came a day after the country's defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando handed over his resignation letter to the president.
Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed a local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan police which wrongly identified an American Muslim woman as a suspect in the deadly bombings on Easter Sunday has apologised for the goof-up, according to media reports on Friday.
The police on Thursday issued a flyer with the names and photos of six persons — three men and three women — wanted in connection with the attacks that killed 253 people.
On the flyer, a photograph of Amara Majeed was put wrongly by Sri Lankan authorities, identifying her as a suspect linked to the bloodshed.
The name attached to the picture was Abdul Cader Fathima Khadiya — but the picture was of Baltimore-born Majeed, whose parents are from Sri Lanka.
"I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka," she tweeted.
"What a thing to wake up to!"
Around 253 people died and hundreds were injured in the Sri Lanka attacks, where suicide bombers struck three hotels and three churches.
"This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that our communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I don't need more false accusations and scrutiny," Majeed wrote on Twitter.
"Please stop implicating and associating me with these horrific attacks," Majeed urged. "And next time, be more diligent about releasing such information that has the potential to deeply violate someone's family and community."
Sri Lankan police confirmed the error in a statement, saying "the individual pictured is not wanted for questioning".
Nine persons are suspected of carrying out the deadly attacks, and dozens have been arrested.
The authorities blamed a local Islamist extremist group, National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), soon after the blasts but said the bombers must have had outside help.
