Sri Lanka: Almost All Connected to Easter Sunday Attacks Arrested or Dead

Almost all suspects involved in the Easter Sunday suicide bombing attacks on April 21 in Sri Lanka have either been arrested or are dead, acting police chief Chandana Wickramaratne said in an audio statement issued by the Defense Ministry. Sri Lankan authorities have also dismantled a significant part of the terror network associated with the deadly attacks, confiscating bomb-making materials and freezing assets worth about $40 million. Investigators are still tracking down some 10 more people related to the terror campaign, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous military source. Islamic State claimed responsibility but did not give details. However, local authorities have pinned the blame on a couple of small domestic terror groups, Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) and National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). NTJ founder, Zahran Hashim, the alleged leader of the suicide bombers, blew himself up. It has not yet been proven that the attackers have any credible link to ISIS, but Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena told Reuters that all indications pointed in this direction.