Asia

Easter Bombing: India Kept an Eye on Detained Sri Lankan Since 2016

Investigating agencies in Sri Lanka believe Aadhil Ameez acted as a link between the groups that carried out terror strikes on churches and hotels that killed 253 people and wounded over 500 more.
Sputnik

New Delhi (Sputnik): A Sri Lankan software engineer, who was recently detained by police authorities in the island nation, had been monitored by Indian intelligence agencies since 2016.

Indian agencies said they kept a close watch on the activities of Aadhil Ameez, 24, for his links with Daesh suspects, according to a report by Reuters. They named him in two charge sheets filed in Indian courts and suspected him of involvement with Daesh*. Indian intelligence reportedly warned Sri Lankan authorities of a possible terror attack at least three times in April alone. An official at India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) and another police official in the country's Gujarat state said that they were providing assistance to Sri Lankan authorities, the report added.

READ MORE: Archbishop of Colombo Reportedly Accuses US, Daesh of Creating Conflicts

Sri Lanka Bans 3 Islamist Groups Suspected of Being Involved in Easter Bombings
Aadhil Ameez was taken into custody on 25 April, four days after the Easter Sunday attacks, for allegedly providing technical and logistical support to the suicide bombers targeting mosques and hotels. Sri Lankan police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekera confirmed the development to Reuters.

Ameez describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a senior engineer, programmer, and web designer with a degree in political science from a UK University. Sri Lanka's tough new emergency laws imposed after the attacks indicate that he could remain in custody indefinitely.

READ MORE: Nationwide Curfew Imposed in Sri Lanka After Mosque Attacks

His father, who lives in Aluthgama, a town south of Colombo, denied his son's involvement with the plotters, saying such "allegations are lies".

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries

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