Updated
CCTV footage has been released, allegedly showing a suicide bomber walking into a church moments before killing Easter Sunday worshippers in Sri Lanka, according to Indian media.
Key points:
- Sri Lanka’s Foreign Intelligence Services warns of a suicidal bomb 10 days prior to the attack
- It is unclear if Sri Lanka’s President received, or acted on the warning
- The country has invoked emergency laws allowing special powers to military and police
The footage, shared by Indian channel TV 9, shows a young man with a back pack walking into St Sebastian’s Church, killing 67 people.
The string of attacks on churches and hotels in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, and one in the outskirts of the city, killed at least 290 people and wounded nearly 500.
Questions are now being raised regarding an alleged warning by the Sri Lankan Foreign Intelligence services prior to the attack, and whether enough was done to prevent it.
We look into what is in the warning, whether any actions were taken and who was involved.
What did the warning say?
The three-page warning report, which cannot be independently verified by the ABC, was signed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in Colombo.
Written on the cover letter was “Information of an alleged plan attack”, dated April 11, 10 days prior to the blasts.
“The Foreign Intelligence Services advises there is a suicidal bomb attack being planned by the organisational leader of the National Thowheeth Jama’ath … along with his followers,” the report said.
“It is also being reported that these attacks will be targeted to the famous Catholic churches and the Indian High Commission.”
The report also identifies some of the main organisers and goes to mention their history and current whereabouts.
Could the bombings have been prevented?
It was not immediately clear what action, if any, was taken in response to the tip-off.
A rift between Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, which sparked a crisis last year, came under scrutiny a day after the deadly bomb blasts, with questions over how the Government handled the recent warning.
The President fired Mr Wickremesinghe last October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court.
Their relationship has not improved and their differences have delayed government decisions, politicians said.
The Premier has since been kept out of intelligence briefings in the fallout, a minister said.
It was not clear if the President was aware of the report.
He was out of the country when the bombers struck and his office declined to comment.
Who are the militants?
The Sri Lankan Government has blamed the attacks on the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), a little-known radical domestic Islamist group known for vandalising Buddhist statues.
However, analysts said the attacks are different from previous ethno-religious violence in Sri Lanka, which has usually sought for specific political change.
The style of the attacks appear to be more similar with the tactics of Al Qaeda, due to its incitement of religious hatred.
Were other terrorist groups involved?
A Government spokesperson said an international network was involved in coordinating the seven suicide bombers, but did not specify which one.
“We don’t think a small organisation can do all that,” Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said.
“We are now investigating international support for them and their other links — how they produced the suicide bombers and bombs like this.”
The President said the Government will seek foreign help to track overseas links.
International anti-terrorism experts said even if a local group had carried out the attacks, it was likely that Al Qaeda or Islamic State were involved, given the level of sophistication.
World leaders have pledged their support for Sri Lanka and for the investigation into the atrocity.
Is the country in a state of emergency?
Sri Lankan officials have invoked emergency laws that give the police and military extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court orders. A night curfew between 8:00pm to 4:00am was also put in place.
Police said 87 bomb detonators were found at the city’s main bus station, while an explosive went off near a church when bomb squad officials were trying to defuse it.
Police said 24 people had been arrested, all of whom were Sri Lankan, but no other details were given.
Most of the attacks happened during Easter services and when hotel guests were sitting down for breakfast buffets.
“Guests who had come for breakfast were lying on the floor, blood all over,” an employee at Kingsbury Hotel said.
Wires/ABC
Topics:
defence-and-national-security,
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