Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, a suspect in the series of gruesome attacks on churches and hotels earlier this month, was influenced by extremist ideas while studying in Australia.
"That's how the family feel… We know there is some militancy going on in Australia among the Muslims. Australia has been out there fighting [in the war on terror]", Wickremesinghe told The Guardian Australia.
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The statement comes a day after media reported that Mohamed had previously been a subject of a terrorism investigation by Australian police due to his links to Daesh* terrorists.
According to police, at least two attackers are believed to be on the run after the incident.
* Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia