India's Warning To Sri Lanka Of Terror Plot Based On Information From IS Suspect - Reports

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) The Indian intelligence services' early warning to Sri Lanka of a potential terror plot in the country was based on information extracted from an Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) suspect in their custody, media reported.

On Monday, Sri Lankan Economic Reform Minister Harsha De Silva said Indian and US intelligence services had briefed Sri Lanka on the terrorist attacks being plotted ahead of its execution. De Silva said the information from foreign intelligence agencies did not get communicated to the right people including Sri Lanka's prime minister and president.

Information Indian intelligence officials shared with Sri Lankan officials revealed that the Islamic State suspect in their custody said he trained a man, Zahran Hashim, in Sri Lanka, CNN reported on Tuesday citing an Indian official.

Hashim is part of the local extremist group National Thowheed Jamaath. He was in the bayat video released by the Islamic State earlier on Tuesday showing him with seven other Sri Lanka militants pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

On Easter Sunday, the country was shaken by a series of coordinated attacks, which killed at least 290 people. Colombo has launched a massive security operation in the wake of the tragedy. As of Monday, at least 24 people were detained in connection with the attacks. The authorities introduced and re-introduced curfews and deployed an extra 1,000 troops in the capital.

On Monday, Interpol announced it would deploy a special team to Sri Lanka to investigate the waves of deadly bombings.