Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has on Saturday banned two terrorist organizations suspected to be linked with Easter Sunday’s suicide bombing attacks in churches and hotels that claimed the lives of more than 250 people, including 500 wounded.
According to ANI news reports, under emergency regulations, Sirisena took the decision to ban two terrorist groups, the Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) and the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ) in Sri Lanka.
In an official statement, the presidential office stated, “President Maithripala Sirisena, in terms of powers vested in him as the under Emergency Regulations No. 01 of 2019, has taken steps to ban the organizations National Thawheed Jammath (NTJ) and Jamathei Miillathu Ibraheem (JMI) in Sri Lanka.”
The statement added that all activities of those two organizations as well as their property will be seized by the Sri Lankan government.
This development came shortly after last week’s Easter Sunday serial terror blasts in three churches and four hotels, claimed by Islamic States (ISIS) in Sri Lanka.
Sirisena has said on Friday the police are looking after some 140 suspects believed to have a connection with the ISIS (Islamic State) terror organization, which has claimed the responsibility of eight consecutive suicide bombing attack.
The United States has raised a level of travel warning on Friday, for Sri Lanka and has urged its citizens to “reconsider” visiting the island nation in a wake of devastating series of suicide bombing attacks that took place last week that claimed the lives of more than 300 people.
Also read:
- Sri Lanka: Police searching 140 suspects; Sirisena urges people to avoid visiting churches, mosques fearing more attacks
- US raises travel advisory level for Sri Lanka, urges its citizens to ‘reconsider’ visiting