Colombo, May 26 (PTI): Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has vowed to take security measures to prevent the Islamic State (IS) terrorism raising its head again in the country as he appealed to people not to support extremism or religious fanaticism.
The premier after meeting with a group of representatives of civil societies and trade union collective at Temple Trees on Saturday said the security forces and police have been able to apprehend everyone involved in the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people, the Colombo Page reported.
“But this doesn’t mean that this is the end of this type of terrorism. We now have to take certain measures of counterterrorism to ensure that the country will not face terrorism again,” he cautioned.
He said the government is discussing the counterterrorism measures that are being taken, with the country still on edge after the attacks on three hotels and three churches that were blamed on a local jihadi group, the National
Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ). The Islamic State group has also claimed a role in the attacks.
“We have also had the help of the Muslim community in bringing about many changes and suggestions - Madrasa education bill not allowing sharia universities, ensuring name boards in only the three national languages,” the premier said.
Civil societies and trade union representatives inquired the prime minister on the political and institutional responsibilities which have failed to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks and also on the security situation in the country after the attacks.
The premier responded, saying the parliamentary select committee (PSC) has been appointed to investigate the issue.
He pointed out that the attacks in Sri Lanka is one instance that the ISIS did not have the support of the local Muslim community for their actions and that should be maintained.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe requested not to drive people to extremism by supporting religious fanaticism and racism.
“We must maintain it that way and not allow extremism to come in, racial and religious hatred to come in, whereby driving some people to the other side,” he said.
Christians make up 7.6 per cent and Muslims 10 per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka.
The prime minister said the government will appoint a resident committee of parliament to look into all the incidents and circumstances surrounding the Easter bomb blasts.
Wickremesinghe said a methodology will be devised preventing Islamic State (IS) terrorism to raise its head again in the country by safeguarding the law and order of the country.
He also said that the Speaker has agreed to open the proceedings through the media in order for people to gain access to the activities of the PSC.
“Today we have taken all the measure to restore law and order. We’ve been able to observe Ramadan, We’ve been able hold prayers, Sunday Mass, and Vesak Poya has been observed very, very successfully,” he said.
He said schools have started and life is getting back to normal. the security forces and police have been able to apprehend everyone involved in the attacks and detained while legal proceedings are yet to be decided by the Attorney General.
“But this doesn’t mean that this is the end of this type of terrorism. We now have to take certain measures of counterterrorism to ensure that the country will not face terrorism again,” the Premier cautioned adding that the government is discussing the counterterrorism measures that are being taken and being presented.
“We have also had the help of the Muslim community in bringing about many changes and suggestions - Madrasa education bill not allowing sharia universities, ensuring name boards in only the three national languages,” the Premier said.
He pointed out that the attack in Sri Lanka is one instance that the ISIS did not have the support of the local Muslim community for their actions and that should be maintained.
The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday said coastal guard vessels and personnel have been alerted following reports of boats allegedly carrying 15 local Islamic State (IS) members had set off for India’s Lakshdweep islands.
A top official source of the Kerala Police Saturday said that the state’s coastal police stations and the police chiefs of the coastal districts have been alerted following intelligence reports that boats allegedly carrying 15 IS terrorists had set off from Sri Lanka to the Lakshdweep islands.
“The Navy has come to know through the reports in local and Indian media that some 15 local IS members were moving to India’s Lakshadweep islands through the sea route,” Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Isuru Suriyabandara said.
“We have alerted all our coastal guard vessels and personnel,” he added.
The spokesperson also said the Navy had not received any official information in this regard.
“The possibility of the local Jihadi group members moving to India, however, had not been communicated to the Navy through the official channels,” Suriyabandara said.
Sri Lanka witnessed the worst terror attacks on its soil, when nine suicide bombers carried out a series devastating blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, killing around 260 people, including over 40 foreigners, and injuring 500 others.
The IS claimed responsibility for the blasts but Sri Lanka government said it was carried out by a local jihadi group, the National Thoweed Jamaath (NTJ).
Since the April 21 suicide attacks, the Sri Lanka Army has launched an island-wide operation to search for people having links with the NTJ. During which, one of the associate of NTJ leader Zahran Cassim, who blew himself up at one of the hotels during the Easter Sunday attacks, was arrested.
The Sri Lanka Army Sunday said it continued with its operations to search for the local network of the IS in the district of Colombo and its suburbs.
“Around 120 people had been arrested during four days of cordon-and-search operations. During the drive, some explosives, ammunition, military like uniforms were recovered from them,” the Army officials said, adding some of them were arrested for possessing drugs. Meanwhile, a group of Buddist monks have accused a cabinet minister and a provincial governor of aiding and abetting the NTJ, and lodged a complaint with the police, which has referred to it to the Crime Investigation Department.
The monks have accused Industry and Trade Minister Rishath Bathiyutheen and Governor of the Eastern Province M L A M Hisbullah of aiding and abetting NTJ, the group responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks.
“The complaint has been referred to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.
