Sri Lanka: Islamic State (IS) claims responsibility for Sri Lanka terror attacks that killed 321 people
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks through its Amaq news agency, Reuters reported on Monday. “A security source told Amaq agency the perpetrators of the attack targeting the citizens of [US-led] coalition countries and Christians in Sri Lanka were soldiers of the Islamic State,” a statement released by the Islamic State on Amaq news agency said. The group has not given any evidence, the Reuters report adds.
The Sri Lankan government had stated that a local outfit National Thowheed Jamath had carried out the attacks that killed over 320 people and the local terrorists had ‘foreign aid’ to carry out the attacks.
Sri Lankan Defence Minister of State Ruwan Wijewardene earlier in the day told the Sri Lankan Parliament that the attack was carried out by local extremists as a retaliation to the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand. According to reports, the ISIS statement has no mention of Christchurch.