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Nearly 200 linked to Easter Sunday attacks in Police custody
View(s):Nearly 200 persons linked to the multiple Easter Sunday suicide attacks are currently in Police custody, a senior official said. Of them, 60 are directly connected to the explosions and are being held by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), the officer said.
Others have been arrested for possession of swords, a large number of knives, improvised devices used as weapons, detonators, drones and material related to the Islamist ISIS among others. Most of them have been produced in courts and remanded.
Among the 60 persons directly linked to the explosions are the immediate families of the suicide bombers, their relatives, persons who aided and abetted the bombers, persons involved in transporting explosives and the bombers, persons who provided accommodation to the bombers and those involved in manufacturing the bombs.
A senior officer said they suspected that among those arrested are 6-7 persons who had undergone military training in Syria and were knowledgeable in manufacturing bombs.
An engineer is among those arrested on suspicion in Kalmunai.
Police, the Special Task Force and Armed Forces have also found explosives, suicide kits, ball bearings, ammunition, weapons, police uniforms, camouflage military type uniforms, items similar to those used by the security forces among other items, during their raids. In an operation carried out in Jaffna by the Police and the Army, a person believed to be the deputy of the Ava group, involved in criminal activities in the north, was arrested, while two undergraduates were also arrested inside the campus.
Police, in order to facilitate search operations, has called upon householders to register with the nearest police station. However, there was confusion whether the required forms were being issued by the Grama sevaka or through the police stations.
Meanwhile, as part of the security measures, the police and the security forces have removed unauthorised shops and constructions in towns, while fresh parking restrictions have been imposed.
