Sri Lanka Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne stated Monday that the series of deadly explosions across the country was organised by the local group Thowheed Jamath. He also stated that the attacks had been carried out with the help of a vast international network.
"We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country", the minister said. "There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded".
READ MORE: Sri Lanka Government Orders New Curfew Amid High Attack Tensions
At the same time, Telecommunications Minister Harin Fernando tweeted an internal police memo from 11 April, warning that the group National Thowheed Jamath planned to bomb Catholic churches and the Indian High Commission.
Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. What my father heard was also from an intelligence officer. Serious action need to be taken as to why this warning was ignored. I was in Badulla last night pic.twitter.com/ssJyItJF1x
— Harin Fernando (@fernandoharin) 21 апреля 2019 г.
Addressing the terrorist attack threat, the office of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena announced that a national emergency would be declared, starting on Monday at midnight.
National Thowheed Jamath is an Islamic group, founded in 2004 that is based in Tamil Nadu, India.
