21 APR 2019

SRI LANKA ATTKS

 BACKGROUND
• 8 BLASTS HIT LOC INCL CHURCHES AND HOTELS ACROSS
SRI LANKA KILLING 290 PEOPLE AND INJURING 500.

• CONGREGATIONS WERE TAKING PART IN EASTER SUNDAY

SERVICES AT THE CHURCHES WHEN BLASTS OCCURRED

• AMONG THE HOTELS, FIVE STAR SHANGRI LA, KINGSBURY

AND CINNAMON GRAND HOTELS IN COLOMBO WERE
TARGETED.

• A LOCAL GP ‘NATIONAL THOWHEED JAMATH ‘ IS BELIEVED

TO BE BEHIND THE ATTK.

• 24 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO THE

BLASTS.
 SEQUENCE OF ACTIONS
0845 local time- Six near-simultaneous explosions at luxury hotels and churches holding Easter mass.

Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district are targeted during
Easter services and blasts also rock the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the
country's capital.

1140 local time- Sri Lankan government closes schools for two days.

1345 local time- Five hours after the initial attacks, a blast reported near the zoo in Dehiwala, southern
Colombo. This was the seventh explosion.

1415 local time-An eighth explosion reported near the Colombo district of Dematagoda during a police
raid, killing three officers.

1430 local time- Sri Lankan government shuts down access to major social media messaging services.

1445 local time-Sri Lanka's government declares an islandwide curfew from 1800 local time to 0600.

2200 local time-a petrol bomb attack on a mosque and arson attacks on two shops owned by Muslims
in two different parts of the country.
OCCURRENCE OF BLASTS
 THE ATTACKERS
A previously little-known group called the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) is being
accused of having carried out the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.

However, the NTJ has not admitted carrying out the bombings.

On Tuesday, the Islamic State (IS) group said its militants had carried out the attacks. It
did not provide any details.

NJT-

The group is believed to have splintered off from another hardline Islamist group in
the country, the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ).

Founded by Zahran Hashim, the suspected leader of the suicide bombers who blew
himself up at a hotel in Colombo.

However, Hashim is said to have been expelled from the NTJ after making hate
speeches and may, in turn, have founded another splinter group.

While still relatively unknown, the SLTJ is a bit more established. Its secretary, Abdul
Razik, was arrested in 2016 for inciting hatred against Buddhists. He later issued an
apology.
 LINKS TO THE ATTKS
Government spokesman Rajitha
Senaratne told reporters that there
had been "several warnings from
foreign intelligence agencies about
the impending attacks”.

Sri Lankan Telecommunications

Minister Harin Fernando tweeted a
document that was reportedly sent by
Sri Lanka's police chief earlier in April.

That document explicitly names the

NTJ as well as a warning that the Type to enter a caption.
group was planning to attack
churches and the Indian High
Commission.

The document also names

Mohamed Zahran, the group's leader.
 REASONS TO THE CARNAGE

Political deadlock and confusion

Sri Lanka's Muslim strife

Radical preacher

Global dimension?