SL suicide bomber obtained empty cartridges discarded by Army

A suicide bomber who blew himself up at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, one of the targets in the Easter Sunday bombings, had obtained empty cartridges discarded by the Army, a media report said on Friday.

This information was obtained by the Sinhalese newspaper 'Lankadeepa' by utilising the Right to Information Act (RTI), the Daily Mirror reported.

The suicide bomber, Insaf Ahmed, had been able to get his hands on the used cartridges under a facility provided to small industrialists through the Industrial Development Board (IDB).

It was revealed that Ahmed had visited the board on several occasions and was able to procure the cartridges through the mediation of a powerful government politico.

He had made these purchases for productions at the copper factory he owned, according to the RTI filing.

The police suspect that the bombs used on Easter Sunday had been assembled by him at this factory.

Ahmed's family consisted of nine siblings. Ilham Ahmed, a brother, died at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel after blasting one of the bombs, while his wife and two children were killed after a bomb exploded inside a house located at Mahavila gardens in Dematagoda just as security forces personnel were about to enter the premises and arrest them.

The police, who raided the copper factory, had taken into custody nine persons including the manager, who were later remanded.

--IANS

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