ISIS chose Lanka to tell the world that it exists: Prez Sirisena

The Islamic State terror group chose Sri Lanka to stage a massive attack on Easter Sunday to tell the world that they exist, President Maithripala Sirisena said Monday, amid reports that the plot was hatched in war-torn Syria way back in 2017.

More than 250 people, including 11 Indians, were killed and nearly 500 others injured in the co-ordinated suicide bombings, which targeted three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels.

The Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks, the island nation's worst, but the government blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ). The government has banned the NTJ and arrested over 100 suspects in connection with the blasts.

Commenting on the claim of the ISIS that it carried out the attacks in Sri Lanka, President Sirisena said, "To be very honest, I am shocked and can't understand why they chose Sri Lanka for this attack."