On Sunday, a media report said that the Islamic State has claimed the three militants who blew themselves up during a fierce gun battle with security forces in Sri Lanka’s Eastern province.
The shootout occurred on Friday night as in continuation to the security forces’ search operation for members of the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), the local terror group behind the April 21 coordinated blasts that killed 253 people and injured over 500.
The Special Task Force and Army troops, following a tip-off, raided a house in Kalmunai city, about 360 km from Colombo leading to the heavy exchange of fire with the armed group. As the clashes intensified, three men are believed to have set off explosives.
The Colombo Gazette reported that in a statement carried by the extremists’ Aamaq news agency, IS identified the bombers by their noms du guerre as Abu Hammad, Abu Sufyan, and Abu al-Qa’qa. It said they opened fire with automatic weapons and “after exhausting their ammunition, detonated … their explosive belts.”
Six children and three women were among 15 people killed when the militants opened fire and blew themselves up during the gun battle with security forces. A huge cache of explosives was also recovered from the spot. Officials have recovered detonators, suicide kits, army uniforms, and ISIS flags.
The ISIS claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group NTJ for the attacks. President Maithripala Sirisena said Friday that over 130 suspects linked to the ISIS have been operating in the country. A “major search operation has been undertaken,” Sirisena said. “Every household in the country will be checked.”
Sri Lanka’s Catholics on Sunday awoke preparing to celebrate Mass in their homes by a televised broadcast as churches across the island nation shut over fears of militant attacks, a week after the Islamic State-claimed Easter suicide bombings killed over 250 people.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, prepared for services that would be carried on TV, an extraordinary measure underlining the fear still gripping this nation of 21 million people. The Mass was to be aired at 8 a.m.
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