Sri Lanka church bomber caught on CCTV

RT
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 19:46 UTC

© Ada Derana

CCTV footage from Sri Lankan media shows the man suspected of bombing a Catholic Church in Negombo arriving at the scene shortly before the deadly explosion - one of a string of attacks that left hundreds dead on Easter Sunday.

In the video, a bearded man carrying a seemingly heavy backpack is seen making his way towards the crowded Easter service in Negombo, a city on the country's west coast. As he crosses a courtyard, he stops to gently pat a little girl on the head.

Passing through crowds of unsuspecting Catholic worshippers gathered to celebrate Easter, the man enters a side door into the packed St. Sebastian's Church, standing near the front of the hall before the video cuts, reportedly moments before a bomb went off killing at least 150 people.

The Easter Sunday bombings have left 321 confirmed victims so far, with the UN's child protection body saying 45 children are among the dead. Government officials say that two domestic terrorist groups are suspected of organizing the horrific attack. Initial reports suggest they carried out the bombings in response to the Christchurch shooting in mid-March, when a white supremacist killed around 50 people in two mosques in New Zealand.

Comment:

From PM Ranil Wickremesinghe via RT:

There are "some links" between the deadly Easter bombings and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), Sri Lanka's prime minister has said, warning that new attacks are possible.

The country's authorities are monitoring Islamic State recruits who have returned to the country, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday.

So far, only Sri Lankan citizens have been arrested in connection with the attacks, the PM said. However, some of the suspected bombers had traveled abroad and returned home before carrying out the massacre.

The bombings of Christian churches and luxury hotels, which killed over 300 people, might have been in retaliation to the Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand, the official added. A fourth hotel was also a terrorist target, yet the attack failed, according to the PM.

Shortly before Wickremasinghe held the press conference, IS claimed responsibility for the attacks through its propaganda mouthpiece Amaq. While the group did not provide any evidence to back up the claims, Sri Lankan authorities are taking the statement seriously.

"We will be following up on IS claims, we believe there may be links," Wickremasinghe stated.

Wickremasinghe revealed that the country's intelligence units received information about the bombing plot beforehand and that a specific tip-off came from India. The investigation into the blasts is receiving international support as well. The FBI revealed that it is assisting Sri Lankan authorities.

See also: Sri Lanka Terror: Multiple explosions target Catholic churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday - Death toll hits 290 - UPDATES