The Sri Lankan government on Monday said there was no evidence to back claims that the IS militant group was operating in the island nation, Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said even as there were reports of a Sri Lankan man joining the jihadist group.
A Sri Lankan national, known as Abu Shuraih Sailani in the IS organisation, was killed in an airstrike in Syria in July while fighting for the militant group. He was reportedly the first Sri Lankan member in the IS, Xinhua news agency reported.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the police to arrest and question the family members of the suspected militant and investigate what links he had with the IS jihadist group.
Meanwhile, Hettiarachchi said the country's national security would not be relaxed and the military would remain alert for potential threats from domestic and foreign elements.
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