Muslim Youths who received ISIS training not involved in Easter attacks

Mr. Wickremesinghe  said he was never informed about the prior warnings on the attacks, Mr. Wickremesinghe and State Minister Nimal Lansa and a few other  Opposition MPs urged the government to table all volumes of the report  of the Presidential Commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks,  before the House 

Colombo (54.55 – 16/11). None of those Muslim youth who underwent ISIS training in Syria participated in the Easter Sunday attacks as per the investigations carried out just after the attacks, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.   Western media reports claim otherwise.

Mr. Wickremesinghe made this comment in response to the allegation made by Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera who had said that the previous government neglected the Muslim youth who had undergone ISIS training in Syria who were to launch an attack in Sri Lanka. The legacy of Sri Lanka‘s terror war and the new threats poses challenges for policy and national intelligence officials.

He said none of those youth ever participated in the attacks.  

Mr. Wickremesinghe also said he was never informed about the prior warnings on the attack. “ I was never informed about the impending attacks though the matter was discussed at the Security Council during that time,” he said.  

Referring to the allegations made by the Minister on the Millenium city, he said the issue at that time was that the order given by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, not to locate safe houses within Colombo had been ignored. “I ordered the relevant persons to ensure the safety of those Intelligence officers,” he added.  

Mr. Wickremesinghe and State Minister Nimal Lansa and a few other Opposition MPs urged the government to table all volumes of the report of the Presidential Commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks, before the House. 

 Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had accepted that Zahran and few others were paid salaries for helping the Intelligence units since 2010.