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Sri Lankan president bans two groups as terrorist following deadly bombings

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 28 Apr 2019

Sri Lankan president bans two groups as terrorist following deadly bombings

Moscow (Sputnik/UNI) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena decided to ban two terrorist groups operating in the country after a series of deadly bombings, the president's press service said in a statement on Saturday.

"President Maithripala Sirisena, in terms of powers vested in him as the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka under Emergency Regulations No. 01 of 2019, has taken steps to ban the organizations National Thawheed Jammath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI) in Sri Lanka," the statement said.


The statement also noted that all property of the groups would be seized by the government.


On Friday, three explosions rocked Sri Lankan eastern city of Kalmunai, following a series of deadly blasts that hit the country on Easter Sunday, leaving hundreds of people killed and injured nationwide. Sri Lanka introduced a curfew in its eastern part until further notice.


The Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks on Tuesday.


Sri Lanka launched a criminal investigation immediately after the attacks, having already arrested over 100 suspects. According to prosecutors, nine suicide bombers carried out the terror attacks, and eight of them have already been identified.