National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials are in Colombo to probe two Islamic State (IS)-related cases, which could have possible links to the April 21 Easter terror attack that killed more than 250 people.
A senior government official said a two-member NIA team was in Sri Lanka in connection with the two IS-related cases, registered by the agency in 2015 and 2018.
One of the cases was registered in October 2018 by NIA, which pertained to a “criminal conspiracy to kill some Hindu leaders of Coimbatore.” The FIR registered by NIA said, "a group of seven persons from different parts of Tamil Nadu formed a terrorist gang with allegiance to IS and had entered into a criminal conspiracy to kill some Hindu leaders of Coimbatore, thereby threatening the communal harmony besides the security and sovereignity of India." The other case was registered by NIA against an IS suspect Mohammad Naser in 2015.An IS suspect- Mohammad Naser deported from Sudan in
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As reported earlier, based on the examination of an IS sympathiser in Sri Lanka, India through diplomacy channels had alerted Sri Lankan authorities of an impending terror attack.
Earlier Sri Lanka’s Army Commander said Zahran Hashim, alleged mastermind of the terror attacks, likely transited Tamil Nadu when he travelled to other Indian cities. Official sources however denied the suspects travelled to India.
On April 21, Serial blasts rocked Colombo, nearby Negombo and Batticaloa on the island’s east coast, killing over 250 people, including 45 children.
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