Sri Lanka attacks on easter - update

A group called National Thowheet Jama'ath was blamed for the attack on Sri Lanka. It's a small and little known group at the country, that spreads islamic propaganda and promotes violence and hate against other religious groups. 

At now, police arrested 24 people connected to the suicidal bombing attacks this easter, that counted yet to almost 300 deaths.

Two weaks ago, the official of the police warned about a possible attacks on churches, but the authorities failed on act about this information. Sri Lanka government admits 'massive intelligence failures' allowed jihadi group promote the successful attack.

At now, social networking have been blocked to keep difficult the information exchange between groups linked to islamic terrorism and also, avoid the spread of fake news.

Death toll rose significantly to 290 overnight and 500 people wounded across the country, between them, almost 40 dead foreigners, including people from United States, Australia, Britain, China, Japan and Portugal.

The police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera, would not reveal how many people were killed in each location.

U.S.A. helps to promote investigation and link the groups and warned about possible new attacks, enjoying the moment of tension. The U.S. State Department said the groups "continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka" and raised travel advisory to warn. Also said that terrorists could attack “with little or no warning,” and listed several potential targets, including tourist spots, transportation centers, markets, malls, government offices, hotels and places of worship (churches and Buddhist temples).

Also the Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade raised the risk of advisory level on Sri Lanka.

About the National Thowheeth Jama’ath:

It's a little-known small groups of radical islamists that promotes terrorist ideology in social networking. The reputation of the group is on vandalizing Buddhist statues and temples, but there is no history of carrying fanatic or this magnitude attacks.

In 2016 the group's secretary, Abdul Razik, was arrested on charges for inciting racism. 

After decades of civil war in the country, and also for the grographic position, the country has little history of militant Islamist violence. The government has a largely Buddhist elite and they put down the rebelion of ethnic and political Tamils, who were primarily Hindu, but also included Muslims and Christians in a few numbers. Also, Tamils were responsible for ethnic cleansing against Muslims.

The ideology of the National Thowheeth Jama’ath is about religion and punishment, not separatist or political.

The attacks were to foment the hatred between the groups, being different from ISIS and Al-Qaeda attacks, that evokes for political representation and geographic/geopolitical interests.

International observers affirms that the group is a local branch of ISIS. An alied that supports the terrorism worldwide to spread the Islamic faith by fear and punishment.

Sri Lankans went to join the group in Syria and Iraq and now returned to Sri Lanka with expertise and tactics of terrorism and guerrilla warfare, confirming what the authorities said about ISIS have returned to the island.

ISIS supporters celebrated the attack.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/world/asia/ntj-sri-lanka-national-thowheeth-jamaath.html?module=inline

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/apr/21/national-thowheeth-jamaath-planned-attack-sri-lank/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/world/asia/sri-lanka-bombing-explosion.html