Sri Lanka - News and Discussion- Post PM appointment crisis

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 23 Apr 2019 22:40

ramana wrote:
Prasad wrote:Not sure if this was posted earlier - https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ ... 914273.ece

NIA got the intel 6 months back from a guy they arrested in TN.
Right after the blasts, it was well known that India informed SL about threat to IHC and prominent places. SL security is with President whose office did not inform PM.

Hindu headline is idiotic trying to imply NIA was sitting on info for 6 months.
I don't understand why Tamil folkscwant to make the Towheed attack.on Christians into a TN thing? Those guys did a Jihadi attack in SL.
It's not an ethnic fight.
Next person who claims or posts TN connection will get a warning.
Keep you bias to yourself.

Ramana, not sure if you know of the TN towheed jamat. They're a rabid bunch who organised a massive "shirk ozhippu manadu" in Trichy. Shirk I'm sure we all know what that is and who practices idolatory and other "prohibited" practices in India.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 23 Apr 2019 23:16

mmasand wrote:This is a very insightful thread by a Lankan journo, the attack of this magnitude could not have been hatched in a month with near military precision. There is more to it than meets the eye, obviously something that the Lankans are with not aware or won't reveal for political reasons. I for one would like to think it's the latter as they have a very good intelligence set up.
https://twitter.com/rcallimachi/status/ ... 09921?s=19

The SL intelligence set up is among the best in the region and that is saying a lot because RAW and ISI also operate in this region. These guys operate in India, mostly in TN, UK, europe some other asian countries and canada besides internally in SL itself.

The SLs are, for sure, hiding something from their own people as well as from India.

It is only a matter of time before it all comes out.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Apr 2019 23:21

I know about the TN group quite well. However this jihadi action is not their cup of kawa.

BTW my comment was not at you but using your post.

Anyone know what was exactly used as explosive.

I know they showed blasting caps in copper tubes with red wire/cable.

So they have reliable initiation method.
What was the explosive?
Fact that so many blasts all worked means the explosive was also industrial grade
There is a video of bakpaki guy entering a church, which means the package was compact.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Apr 2019 23:22

chetak I submit that SL Intel was focused on LTTE revival and ignored the Towheed types.
Such a large number of bombs over so many different locations shows police network collapsed or was a black swan.

rgosain · Post by **rgosain** » 23 Apr 2019 23:57

Let us nor forget that ISIS whoever they are, were nurtured by the Saudia amongst others, and their branding and PR is done via sections in the western media, thus creating a distraction for the likes of LET etc, so that everytime there is an incident, the term ISIS is a convenient eyewash for the real culprits.
This was an attempt to create real carnage in S.India by the usual suspects aduring the election and frame it as saffron terror not unlike 2008, India's year of living dangerously, but tragically colombo bore the brunt of this callousness. The question is are there any cells in India to be activated.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 24 Apr 2019 00:04

Aditya_V wrote:I think this was originally a double hit planned at India, but post Balakot and tight security in India made them divert to Sri Lanka with the Christchurch shooting as an excuse.

The Softer you are miltarilty the easier the target.

Minor nitpick. It was not the "tight security". We had tight security in India since the Mumbai 1993 blasts and many jihadi attacks happened regardless.

The jihadis don't care about a few of their suicide-bomber candidates getting picked up by cops in Kafir countries. Hell, these low-level cannon-fodder types were going to blow themselves up anyway.

What they care about is being safely asleep in their remote, fortified headquarters on a dark night along with dozens of senior leadership and hundreds of their compatriots. Then, even before they hear a sound, it's 1000 centigrade and they cease to exist as organic matter.

If there is a specific reason similar attacks against India were deterred, it's Balakot. THAT is what has changed.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Apr 2019 00:20

Yup. Balakot type attacks are needed for them to know they are unsafe.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 24 Apr 2019 00:23

Is there really IS in Indian subcontinent? My understanding is there is none, only ISI run jihadi factions. More like using IS as a brand to recruit bombers.

mmasand · Post by **mmasand** » 24 Apr 2019 01:29

A shoddy plumber at the MFA equipped with a stethoscope tells me Sirisena is working overtime to undermine Wickremesinghe and pin the blame on him. However, the defence chiefs are not playing ball and showed up to the national security council called by the PM, today the word is they are being replaced. The IS video seemingly a cover up for something bigger geo-politically, the wheels were in motion long before Christchurch. IS waited a full two days before taking credit, looks like they are trying to stay relevant.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Apr 2019 01:47

Aditya_V wrote:
I think this was originally a double hit planned at India, but post Balakot and tight security in India made them divert to Sri Lanka with the Christchurch shooting as an excuse...

.

I too believe that. The general attack was perhaps planned for India, maybe in S. India. Same general time. Post-Balakot, ISI HQ denied permission, but since they realize that they are into "use it or lose it" territory, they moved the location south to SL. The Easter timing may have been decided months before, for churches and hotels in S. India (Chennai?) (sorry to bring in TN name, but not at all in any way suggesting any TN link). Had it worked it would have been devastating as in "GOI ALLOWED ATTACKERS TO COME IN FROM SOUTH!!!"

The timing w.r.t. Indian elections is not hard to figure out: so close to Super Tuesdin.

But then Balakot happened. India was on full alert. I hope I am not proved wrong

When the soosai bummers' IDs are released we may know better: were they local SL or imported from Pak etc? If they were local SL then it is hard to imagine that they were trained to hit in India because entry of SL ppl into India is probably watched more carefully - and Indian ports of entry must have been all on highest alert.

Or else, that may have been the logic. Trained SL-based soosais were suddenly unable to come to India, so location was moved close to home.

I question the notion that it takes "immense preparation" for such an attack. Let's get away from that assumption. These creeps have been doing this for ages, now. It is as routine as preparing for a weekend cricket match. If they could train the sort of Pakis who posted on (sh1thead) Defence Forum, as they did b4 the "7/11" attacks in Londonistan, they can train any quasi-life-form.

Having seen dozens upon dozens of Twitter videos of soosai VBIEDs in Syria, I think this is standard training, and SL-based recruits are mainly intended as soosai truck-drivers. Given them a location and time, and someone prepares the VBIED and asks the driver to go park somewhere with a cargo to deliver - and at say 9AM, dial 666-666-1313 for further "instructions".
I remember that there was a Malloostan-based professional Driver who got a fantastic offer to "go to Saudi" as a driver. WAAAY too good to be legit. My Evil 6th Coujin put a few nasty thoughts into the people who knew him, and they discouraged him from accepting so he is still alive today. These SL sods may have been duped by Pakis to train in this, and once in, had no way to back out alive.

The van that was left and later detonated by the brilliant SL polis, suggests that at least one driver got away alive - for now. Maybe his cellphone was out of charge.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 24 Apr 2019 01:59

ramana wrote:chetak I submit that SL Intel was focused on LTTE revival and ignored the Towheed types.
Such a large number of bombs over so many different locations shows police network collapsed or was a black swan.

you are a 100% right, ramana.

some of the towheed type videos were a clear pointer to the fact that further investigation was urgently warranted. Someone has goofed up here.

Also, the fact that one group of authorities are publicly acknowledging that Indian intel inputs were given but the ball was dropped on the further handling of this specific intel means that a fierce turf war is already in play or about to break out, most likely between the president's office/faction and the PM's office/faction.

It certainly wasn't a black swan because sections of the security apparatus had the intel but who then kept it quiet??, why did they do so??, and was it done purposely with a view to precipitating a regime change?? and if so, then the possibility that the specific can of worms may have a han mix may have to be considered.

India has been publicly and repeatedly emphasizing the fact that intel was given by them to the SLs and the SLs have also publicly acknowledged the receipt of said intel. It may mean that India has just headed off someone at the pass, maybe han, paki or most likely SL. If pushed or dragged into a local fight, India may have much more intel to deliver publicly to SLs.

Remember how someone in SL recently concocted the story of an assassination attempt by R&AW of some top GoSL functionary?? Wasn't that a very odd thing to do??

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 24 Apr 2019 02:06

UlanBatori wrote: ...
The general attack was perhaps planned for India, maybe in S. India. Same general time. Post-Balakot, ISI HQ denied permission, but since they realize that they are into "use it or lose it" territory, they moved the location south to SL. The Easter timing may have been decided months before, for churches and hotels in S. India (Chennai?) (sorry to bring in TN name, but not at all in any way suggesting any TN link). Had it worked it would have been devastating as in "GOI ALLOWED ATTACKERS TO COME IN FROM SOUTH!!!"

The timing w.r.t. Indian elections is not hard to figure out: so close to Super Tuesdin.
...
.

Not only that. Churches attacked. There would have been great swarms of fake news flying around the usual disinformation networks that Hindu Terrorists did it, such as for example the organization that allegedly employed Sadhvi Pragya (now a BJP candidate in the Hindi Belt!) EVEN those "intelligensia" of TN, KL, KA who accepted the attackers were probably peaceful, would be pontificating on how this was a natural and understandable consequence of Intolerance against Mainorities by the Modi govt, etc.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 24 Apr 2019 02:08

UlanBatori wrote:
Aditya_V wrote:
I think this was originally a double hit planned at India, but post Balakot and tight security in India made them divert to Sri Lanka with the Christchurch shooting as an excuse...
.

I too believe that. The general attack was perhaps planned for India, maybe in S. India. Same general time. Post-Balakot, ISI HQ denied permission, but since they realize that they are into "use it or lose it" territory, they moved the location south to SL. The Easter timing may have been decided months before, for churches and hotels in S. India (Chennai?) (sorry to bring in TN name, but not at all in any way suggesting any TN link). Had it worked it would have been devastating as in "GOI ALLOWED ATTACKERS TO COME IN FROM SOUTH!!!"

The timing w.r.t. Indian elections is not hard to figure out: so close to Super Tuesdin.

But then Balakot happened. India was on full alert. I hope I am not proved wrong

When the soosai bummers' IDs are released we may know better: were they local SL or imported from Pak etc? If they were local SL then it is hard to imagine that they were trained to hit in India because entry of SL ppl into India is probably watched more carefully - and Indian ports of entry must have been all on highest alert.

Or else, that may have been the logic. Trained SL-based soosais were suddenly unable to come to India, so location was moved close to home.

I question the notion that it takes "immense preparation" for such an attack. Let's get away from that assumption. These creeps have been doing this for ages, now. It is as routine as preparing for a weekend cricket match. If they could train the sort of Pakis who posted on (sh1thead) Defence Forum, as they did b4 the "7/11" attacks in Londonistan, they can train any quasi-life-form.

Having seen dozens upon dozens of Twitter videos of soosai VBIEDs in Syria, I think this is standard training, and SL-based recruits are mainly intended as soosai truck-drivers. Given them a location and time, and someone prepares the VBIED and asks the driver to go park somewhere with a cargo to deliver - and at say 9AM, dial 666-666-1313 for further "instructions".
I remember that there was a Malloostan-based professional Driver who got a fantastic offer to "go to Saudi" as a driver. WAAAY too good to be legit. My Evil 6th Coujin put a few nasty thoughts into the people who knew him, and they discouraged him from accepting so he is still alive today. These SL sods may have been duped by Pakis to train in this, and once in, had no way to back out alive.

The van that was left and later detonated by the brilliant SL polis, suggests that at least one driver got away alive - for now. Maybe his cellphone was out of charge.

Modi's and the Indian aam jantha's reaction would have been to go for the paki jugular ASAP. That may be counterproductive at this particular time of the grave paki stress.

maybe they are waiting to see who wins the election Modi or someone like the comatose turbanator??

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Apr 2019 02:16

Apparently a senior/retired intel/polis person made the warnings public well BEFORE the events. Wonder why: did he see that the intel was being swept under the rug? That whole thing about the intel has other things beneath it. Uncharacteristic of RAA to reveal that they had provided intel to anyone. US of course claims to know everything, probably the ISI who prepared it were drinking buddies of the Fog-e-Bottom types.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Apr 2019 02:23

Modi's and the Indian aam jantha's reaction would have been to go for the paki jugular ASAP.

THAT would be the reason why ISI shifted the scene.

Until Balakot - even post Uri Surgical Ihstrike - the Paki arrogance has been that the New Clear Detergent hamstrung India so that there would be no serious reaction. Instead, an attack like the above, would have been blamed as "See, See! Pulwama, now this, all because of Revenge for Modi's Surgical Strike, Revenge for Babri Masjid, Revenge for Gujarat2002.."

The usual sh1ts such as Oceanic-Stupidity Ghose would have written the usual articles Condoming the Hindootva Cycle of Violence.

Balakot changed that. Note that the strike package sailed right past Islamagood and delivered the jhapad and returned. Plus the promise of (whatever) raat if the pilot was not returned, made them realize that the 12 mijjiles were ready and would be the next edition of the Indian Educational Program.

That reminds me: In all the tamasha with Oceanic Ghose etc, the (she)-Dog That Did Not Bark was Seema Sirohi. Wonder Y

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 24 Apr 2019 02:24

chetak wrote:
Modi's and the Indian aam jantha's reaction would have been to go for the paki jugular ASAP. That may be counterproductive at this particular time of the grave paki stress.

Desperate gamble, but what do the Pakis have left except desperation? If nothing else they would have been counting on this: huge 300+ dead attacks on soft targets (which haven't happened during the past 5 years) giving the impression (duly amplified by the usual suspects) that the deterrent value of Balakot was in fact zero. (Or, if Balakot had not happened, that Modi is useless at national security in the first place).

And then, as you say, the janta would have wanted retaliation ASAP. We on BRF know that's stupid. It took time to plan Balakot after Pulwama. Would we have time now? If the retaliation could not go into effect before 23rd May, the attacks would have had their intended impact on the elections. Along with the usual chorus saying that Modi does not care to retaliate because the victims were ROL.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Apr 2019 02:25

They (the attacks yet to come) may still do that, which is what bothers me. Against that is the assurance of the Twelve Missiles and Qatal Ki Raat. Changed everything. That can be ordered at 1 minute's notice.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 24 Apr 2019 02:30

Agreed. Hence the GOI's blank cheque to the armed forces to stock up on everything they need. Hence our military posture continuing to hold nearly 2 months after Feb 27th. Hence the Paki posture (just about no-fly-zone for commercial traffic) also continuing to hold (on for dear life).

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 Apr 2019 02:52

http://www.dailymirror.lk/top_story/Hea ... 155-165824

The Police, Tri-Forces and Security Forces would be restructured within a week and expected to change the heads of all security forces within the next 24 hours, President Maithripala Sirisena said today.

He said this addressing the nation a short while ago

The blame game begins:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news ... 108-165822

MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said today some ministers and UNP MP Mujibur Rahman cursed him saying he was lying when he warned in November 18, 2016 of a possible attack by Thawheed Jama'at (TJ) and said they should take the responsibility for the loss of lives in the recent attack.

He told Parliament that he revealed in parliament that 34 members belonging to four families attached to the Thawheed Jama'at had undergone training under the Islamic State and were preparing for an attack here. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)

http://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news ... 108-165825

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign after admitting that his actions had crippled the military intelligence services as well as the work done by the security forces in the name of safeguarding human rights, MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said yesterday.

He told a news conference at the parliament complex that Mr. Wickremesinghe acted to cripple the military intelligence in 2001 and even under the present government the security forces were weakened as a result of his actions.

"After this government came to power in 2001, it started to betray the security forces. Then, 160 intelligence officers were betrayed in the incident that occurred at the Millennium City. The LTTE was allowed to regroup due to the ceasefire agreement as well. After 2015, about 20 intelligence officials were arrested after information about their activities were leaked by the police," the Thera said.

He said they had already briefed the President on the threats to national security and maintained that the PM should now admit his failures and resign.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news ... 108-165820

UNP MP Sarath Fonseka said today the governments that were in office since 2010 should be held responsible for the series of terror attacks on Easter Sunday and pointed out that it was not fair to blame only the IGP.

He told a news conference that the terror attacks might have been planned for quite a sometime and as such both governments should be held responsible for the attacks.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 24 Apr 2019 03:17

Meanwhile the Western Mainstream Media "contextualization" of the Islamic Thowheeth Jama'at (through slandering of Hindus and Buddhists) continues in full flow. See this article in The Daily Beast by some supposed "experts" (at whitewashing Islamism)...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/isis-clai ... itter_page

Excerpt:

But we also knew that Sri Lanka did not have such a history. There, the history of terrorism has been tied to the largely Hindu “Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,” which were defeated militarily in 2009 after years of separatist war waged against the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority.

It was the Tamil Tigers, after all, who first developed the suicide vest and sent women into crowds of people to blow themselves up long before the tactic spread like wildfire across the Middle East.

I tweeted in response to The Daily Beast. Requesting all here to like, RT, and join the conversation to register protest. Here is my Tweet:

https://twitter.com/Indosphere/status/1 ... 2092720134

I call #Hinduphobia when the authors describe LTTE as "mainly HINDU", then credit LTTE with inventing suicide bombing. LTTE was secular, leaders included the Catholic Anton Balasingham. Would you cavalierly point out that the PLO was "mainly MUSLIM" or IRA "mainly CHRISTIAN"?

If we don't fight back at every instance of throwing Hindus under the bus to protect the tender sensibilities of Islam, we deserve what we get.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Apr 2019 03:41

Prabhakaran was very Xtian. So perhaps this attack is revenge by victims of the LTTE?

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 24 Apr 2019 03:45

Rudradev wrote:
UlanBatori wrote: ...
The general attack was perhaps planned for India, maybe in S. India. Same general time. Post-Balakot, ISI HQ denied permission, but since they realize that they are into "use it or lose it" territory, they moved the location south to SL. The Easter timing may have been decided months before, for churches and hotels in S. India (Chennai?) (sorry to bring in TN name, but not at all in any way suggesting any TN link). Had it worked it would have been devastating as in "GOI ALLOWED ATTACKERS TO COME IN FROM SOUTH!!!"

The timing w.r.t. Indian elections is not hard to figure out: so close to Super Tuesdin.
...
.
Not only that. Churches attacked. There would have been great swarms of fake news flying around the usual disinformation networks that Hindu Terrorists did it, such as for example the organization that allegedly employed Sadhvi Pragya (now a BJP candidate in the Hindi Belt!) EVEN those "intelligensia" of TN, KL, KA who accepted the attackers were probably peaceful, would be pontificating on how this was a natural and understandable consequence of Intolerance against Mainorities by the Modi govt, etc.

Looking at the NYT and other articles on this subject that felt compelled to say, "attacks on minorities is very common in the region, especially in India" (or something to that effect), one might almost imagine that they had the article already prepared for an "attack on Christian churches in India" and had to repurpose it in a hurry.

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 24 Apr 2019 04:03

IS claims Lanka attack, 13 Indians among 321 dead - Rajshekhar Jha – TNN

NEW DELHI: Forty eight hours after the serial blasts in Sri Lanka, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the terror attacks in which at least 321 people have died and over 500 are injured. The development lent credence to the assessment that a global terror outfit may have joined hands with local extremist outfit, National Tawheed Jamaat, in executing the Easter bombings.

In a statement released in Arabic through its mouthpiece Amaq on Tuesday afternoon, an IS spokesperson said: "The perpetrators of the attack that targeted the citizens of the coalition governments and the Christians in Sri Lanka the day before yesterday were IS Inghemasis (fighters)".

Meanwhile, the number of Indians killed in the blasts rose to 13. They were among at least 38 foreigners who lost their lives. Addressing an emergency session of Parliament, Sri Lanka's state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, citing "preliminary investigations" , said the serial bombings were in "retaliation to the attack against Muslims in Christchurch".

Five Indians were among 50 people killed in terror attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, carried out by Australia-born Brenton Tarrant (28) on March 15.

Although the IS didn't directly mention Christchurch on Tuesday, its statement strengthens the view that the Sri Lanka bombings were intended to be revenge for the massacre of Muslims in New Zealand last month. The Sri Lankan government had named the NTJ and also said the scale and sophistication of the attacks clearly pointed to the hand of an international network .

TOI on Tuesday had reported the names and pictures of three IS fighters involved in the bombings after they were released by a pro-IS telegram channel.

The names released by the channel were Zahran Hashim aka Abu Ubaida, Abu Al-Mukhtar and Abu Al-Barra. The others have been identified as Abu Khalil, Abu Hamza, Abu Mohammed and Abu Abdullah. These are identities which IS terrorists are typically given after they have pledged allegiance to the terror outfit chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.

The statement by Amaq details the exact movements of the bombers. It further says: "Some of the brave fighters went towards churches and hotels... They went separate ways... Abu Hamza, Khalil and Mohammed went towards churches... Others went to hotels and other places in the battle... 350 kafirs were killed and 650 injured, " the translation reads.

This claim by IS validates the view that a local outfit like NTJ could not have carried out attack on its own given the expertise required in bomb-making and planning. The attack also has typical IS imprints like the strikes carried out in Bangladesh and other places where the global outfit roped in local extremist groups to execute terror attacks.

In Sri Lanka's case, agencies are trying to verify inputs that an IS cell based in a southeast Asian country may have extended logistical help and provided training to the NTJ terrorists. The Sri Lanka bombings have many similarities with the attack on a Roman Catholic cathedral in January in Philippines. Two bombs had exploded in the church in southern Philippines, killing 20 people and injuring dozens. The IS had claimed the attack on the cathedral located in Jolo island, where jihadist groups have been active for some time.

IS spokesperson Abu Hasan al Muhajir had earlier released an audio speech calling for Muslims to wake up and avenge the Christchurch shootings by a heavily armed white supremacist.

Intelligence officers, however, felt that the Sri Lanka plan could have been in the works for months. "The speech by Muhajir could be a trigger but the planning would have begun much earlier, " an officer said. When asked about a delay of two days by IS in claiming the attack, an intelligence officer pointed out that bombs are still being recovered till Tuesday
evening. "IS usually claims attacks once they are 'over', " he said.

TOI spoke to a few officers on the nature of explosives used in the blasts. While officials said they were waiting for the post blast investigation (PBI) to get over before commenting, sources said it was being probed if C4 explosives were used by the terrorists.

Investigators are understood to be looking at an operation carried out by local CID in Puttalam area in January where 100kg of explosives was seized from four men belonging to NTJ. The operation was carried out during a probe into vandalism of Buddhist statues. The seizures included 100 detonators, a stock of wire cords, six 20-litre cans of nitrate acid (banned in Sri Lanka), a stock of bulbs, 75 kg of C4, a 12 bore rifle and a stock of ammunition, an air rifle, two tents, food, cameras and other items.

Cheers

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Apr 2019 04:34

chetak wrote:
ramana wrote:chetak I submit that SL Intel was focused on LTTE revival and ignored the Towheed types.
Such a large number of bombs over so many different locations shows police network collapsed or was a black swan.
you are a 100% right, ramana.

some of the towheed type videos were a clear pointer to the fact that further investigation was urgently warranted. Someone has goofed up here.

Also, the fact that one group of authorities are publicly acknowledging that Indian intel inputs were given but the ball was dropped on the further handling of this specific intel means that a fierce turf war is already in play or about to break out, most likely between the president's office/faction and the PM's office/faction.

It certainly wasn't a black swan because sections of the security apparatus had the intel but who then kept it quiet??, why did they do so??, and was it done purposely with a view to precipitating a regime change?? and if so, then the possibility that the specific can of worms may have a han mix may have to be considered.

India has been publicly and repeatedly emphasizing the fact that intel was given by them to the SLs and the SLs have also publicly acknowledged the receipt of said intel. It may mean that India has just headed off someone at the pass, maybe han, paki or most likely SL. If pushed or dragged into a local fight, India may have much more intel to deliver publicly to SLs.

Remember how someone in SL recently concocted the story of an assassination attempt by R&AW of some top GoSL functionary?? Wasn't that a very odd thing to do??

The dismissed PM Mahinda Rajapakse who is at center of controversy.
Sirisena dismissed Wickramsinghe and appointed Rajapakse.
the SL Supreme Court said cant do that.
Since then Sirisena has been excluding Wickramsinghe from national security meetings.

I had been thinking this attack is a China+Rajapakse off shored to ISI which used their module, to discredit Sirisena. It could be to discredit Wickramsinghe now that you mention that odd charge.
UB you cloud be right this was Southern Pulwama and got discharged in SL for fear of Balakot repeat.
Timing, location all say its complicated.
And India alerting SL means they were on top of it.
Sirisena has a lot of explaining to do if so many jihadis were lurking and making bombs.
Why is he in charge of security forces that are not looking for such malefactors.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Apr 2019 04:43

C4 is military explosive and mfg are required to add a tracer to it.
Now SL should have asked for help in tracing the C4 + 100 detonators when they found the material.
So in January SL police had seized explosives from NTJ operatives who were involved in the Biddhist statues vanadalism in Puttalam.
From press reports the chief suicide bomber was involved in that vandalism.
Yet he is moving free and pulled off this Easter Sunday attack.

SL looks like awash in detonators that jihadis can afford 100 of them taken by police and still have 87 in a van.
Those are blasting caps and made by explosives mfg companies.
They should be traced to companies.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 24 Apr 2019 04:57

It could be a situation where the GoSL (Sirisena via Rajapakse) are SO compromised to PRC and its ISI proxies that they have gone the Digvijaya Singh/Sonia Gandhi route on internal security.

In a sense Rajapakse/Sirisena's arms being twisted by China may be more easily explicable than INC's collaboration with Pakistan, because SL is directly in debt to PRC to the tune of $8B for "OBOR" investments (Hambantota etc.) Very likely Rajapakse made a lot of money in the process and spread the wealth around to influential people. Then found there were strings attached and damning evidence that could be made public if he did not dance to Beijing's tune.

Not unthinkable that someone as venal and corrupt as Rajapakse (and his ally, Sirisena) would turn a blind eye, particularly towards intel coming from the US and India, under Chinese pressure.

Sometimes there is no "strategy". Sometimes when things appear to be prima facie fruits of corruption, incompetence, and misgovernance... that's exactly what they are.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 Apr 2019 05:41

Rudradev is exactly right in my opinion.

US Intelligence agencies had all the pieces of the 9/11 plot, but in silos. But Republican Bush famously ignored the outgoing Democratic Clinton administration's warnings about al Qaeda, largely because there was huge Republican/Democratic animus after the Gingrich "revolution" and the impeachment of Clinton. Any chance of joining the dots and thwarting the plot, however slim you may think the chances were, were completely lost. (Imagine if in January, the incoming President had said, all you intelligence agencies, put your heads together, we want to either confirm or rule out any al Qaeda plot as we have been warned by the previous administration that there are non-specific indications that al Qaeda wants to strike.)

In today's US, the fact that Russia attacked the 2016 US elections is the single clearest fact there is, but Democrats and Republicans can't rally around that, instead are playing politics against each other.

26/11 and the UPA government has been touched upon here already. The Sri Lanka debacle is similarly caused by a disunity and not putting the country above party; instead the various political factions are squabbling.

We can only hope that Bharat Bhagya Vidhata keeps Bharat safe and peaceful.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Apr 2019 06:58

Pakis have been creating a bogey of ISIS for years, as their Sarkari jihadis have come close to getting them sanctioned
Also some youth in the Kashmir Valley are showing ISIS flags - does this mean ISIS is present in the Valley? Hell no !
The true ISIS is the Islamic State in Iraq & Syria & lead by Al-Baghdadi

Sri Lanka is ISI sponsored - new level of plausible deniability is being done by standing in front of a black flag and making a small video.

Main goal: Destabilize Wickeramsinghe as he is Anti China and pro India. Joint Pak-Cheen plan. Already Rajapakse is being missed by most Sinhalese and ex-intel/mil guys who are cooling their heels in jail

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Apr 2019 07:09

The feeling among Lankan expats is as follows:
1. Rajapakse is corrupt, and took bribes along with hos corrupt friends in Chinese projects
2. But he brought peace to SL. He went full steam ahead and ended the civil war, human rights be damned
3. Ranil Wickremesinghe, per lankan expats, wanted to please the west and the human rights lobby and trials were held against Mil and intel officers involved in crushing LTTE. Trials held under a Peace and reconciliation umbrella.
Ex-mil and intel folks in SL resent this move by Wickremesinghe - imagine what this means in the setting of current intel failure
4. Ranil Wickremesinghe, is not very popular today in SL
5. The motive of the bombers might have been in the service of the larger ummah vs revenge for Christchurch vs sending messages to the Sinhalese, but the invisible hand is of the ISI, who is likely being prodded by the chinese
6. The other goal is to show IS sympathizers in India, that ISI is the boss, that they can replicate this elsewhere, in India as well.

srin · Post by **srin** » 24 Apr 2019 07:32

Rudradev wrote:
UlanBatori wrote: ...
The general attack was perhaps planned for India, maybe in S. India. Same general time. Post-Balakot, ISI HQ denied permission, but since they realize that they are into "use it or lose it" territory, they moved the location south to SL. The Easter timing may have been decided months before, for churches and hotels in S. India (Chennai?) (sorry to bring in TN name, but not at all in any way suggesting any TN link). Had it worked it would have been devastating as in "GOI ALLOWED ATTACKERS TO COME IN FROM SOUTH!!!"

The timing w.r.t. Indian elections is not hard to figure out: so close to Super Tuesdin.
...
.
Not only that. Churches attacked. There would have been great swarms of fake news flying around the usual disinformation networks that Hindu Terrorists did it, such as for example the organization that allegedly employed Sadhvi Pragya (now a BJP candidate in the Hindi Belt!) EVEN those "intelligensia" of TN, KL, KA who accepted the attackers were probably peaceful, would be pontificating on how this was a natural and understandable consequence of Intolerance against Mainorities by the Modi govt, etc.

Wow - that is a very disturbing thought. *If* these attacks had happened in India, in this election season, the desi BIFs, their political patrons and their videsi EJ partners (with Paki "OSINT" SM followers) would have definitely pointed fingers at "Hindu terror" and hence, the Govt.

Y I Patel · Post by **Y I Patel** » 24 Apr 2019 07:41

CNN now reporting via scroll bar that India obtained information on the attacks through interrogation of an arrested ISIS terrorist. Information was passed to SL authorities. This is on near-prime time news in US

srin · Post by **srin** » 24 Apr 2019 08:26

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sri-lan ... rt-2027552

Indian intelligence officers contacted their Sri Lankan counterparts two hours before the first attack to warn of a specific threat on churches, one Sri Lankan defence source and an Indian government source said.

Another Sri Lankan defence source said a warning came "hours before" the first strike. One of the Sri Lankan sources said a warning was also sent by Indians on Saturday night.

The Indian government source said similar messages had been given to Sri Lankan intelligence agents on April 4 and April 20.

Wow - that is some awesome level of intel.

LakshmanPST · Post by **LakshmanPST** » 24 Apr 2019 09:02

Regarding the theory that South India was the original target... Remember the Pak Min warned about probable incident in India between April 16th and 20th...
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As someone here in BRF theorised, it was probably a warning to ISI jihadis to call off the attack...

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 24 Apr 2019 09:14

A_Gupta wrote:In today's US, the fact that Russia attacked the 2016 US elections is the single clearest fact there is

Not to go off topic, but is it really?

Prem Kumar · Post by **Prem Kumar** » 24 Apr 2019 09:21

This is beyond phenomenal! Kudos to Doval, Rajnath, Modi and unnamed countless agents!

Its also scary that the vital intel came from arrested Tamil jihadis in TN. Tauheed Jamaath has lakhs of followers on social media and among the populace. If you connect the dots over the years: Coimbatore blasts, Al Ummah, murder of Hindu Munnani leaders, Jallikattu biryani influence, MMK party, youths posting with ISIS attire, Idolatory-destruction-conference, Tauheed Jamaath influence, Ramalingam murder - it doesn't bode well for TamilNadu

Titbit: their chief was once famously caught doing ahem-ahem with the wife of one of his juniors! Someone recorded his call to his partner the morning after and posted it on Facebook

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Apr 2019 09:27

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... wxE2O.html

India sent as many as three alerts to Sri Lanka, including one on the day of the Easter Sunday attack that left 321 people dead and 500 injured, according to senior intelligence officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The first alert was on April 4, and it came from investigations by Indian agencies that followed after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in December 2018, stumbled upon the videos of National Thowheed Jama’at (NTJ) leader Maulvi Zahran Bin Hashim while probing the Islamic State (IS) Coimbatore module.

In the first alert, the agencies told Sri Lanka that, apart from churches, the Indian High Commission in Colombo could be a target. The second alert was sent a day before the attack and was even more specific than the first one in that it mentioned the possible targets, the officials said.

The last alert was sent hours before the suicide bombers attacked the three churches and four hotels.

“The information about the attacks were a result of detailed analysis of information gathered through technical means and human sources,” one of the officials said. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged that alerts had been sent by India.

“India gave us the intelligence but there has been a lapse on how we acted on that... intelligence was not conveyed down the line,” Wickremesinghe told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

HT spoke to multiple officials in the central intelligence agencies who confirmed that the videos of Hashim, in which he exhorted Muslim youth from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to establish an Islamic rule in the region, were analysed in detail and investigated further by India’s external spy agency R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing). The videos were stored in the pen drives, memory cards, mobile phones and CDs/DVDs, recovered by NIA on December 19, 2018 during raids at Kuniyamuthur, Ukkadam, Otteri in Chennai, Tindivanam near Villupuram, and Variety Hall Road in Coimbatore, from the premises of six ISIS suspects, Mohammed Ashiq A, Ismail S, Samsudeen, Mohammed Salauddin S, Jafar Shadik Ali and Shahul Hameed.

The six IS members were arrested on September 1, 2018 for planning to attack Hindu leaders/activists in Coimbatore.

The Coimbatore module members, a second intelligence official said, also regularly listened to Hashim’s speeches. All six have already been charged by NIA.

“Hashim’s video, which appeared to be the latest, showed he was aggressive and he repeatedly assured the cadres that something big would happen soon to teach a lesson [to the members of communities which do not follow the Sharia],” said the officer quoted above.

Further investigation also revealed that some of the Coimbatore module members were in touch with some Sri Lankans, who also followed Hashim.

“Bin Hashim had a major role in radicalising these youngsters on both sides [India and Sri Lanka] to be part of Islamic State,” said the second official who added that the Coimbatore module had no idea of what was being planned in Sri Lanka.

Indian agencies subsequently discovered Hashim’s mobile numbers as well and found that Hashim was in touch with some IS functionaries in neighbouring Bangladesh. A senior government official who did not wish to be named said that Bangladesh too needs to be on the alert.

Based on the analysis by NIA and further information gathered done by the Intelligence Bureau and R&AW, a communication was sent to Sri Lanka about the possible attacks.

The Sri Lankan authorities evidently took the information lightly, and, in turn, sent out a nationwide alert only on April 11.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Hashim blew himself up at Shangri-La hotel in Colombo on Sunday.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Apr 2019 10:06

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new ... t-14507553

A mum reportedly set off a bomb which killed her and her three children as police raided her home after her terrorist husband killed scores of innocents during an attack in Sri Lanka.

Officers descended on the luxury apartment of killer Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim in the aftermath of the attack.

But three cops were killed when his wife, Fatima, detonated a bomb, intelligence sources have claimed.

Ilham Ibrahim, 31, and brother Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim, 33, have been identified as suicide bombers responsible for deadly attacks at the Cinnamon Grand and Shangri-La hotels in Colombo.

=====
there is suspicion that a lot of women were also involved and may now be preparing to join the A-team in martydom. a proposal to ban burqas is on the table per TOI today

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Apr 2019 10:10

Charles Lister
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BREAKING - #ISIS has now issued an official statement with additional details, claiming responsibility for the #SriLanka attacks.

It names 7 individuals (using kunyas), it says were responsible:

Abu Obaida
Abu Mokhtar
Abu Khalil
Abu Hamza
Abu al-Bara
Abu Mohammed
Abu Abdullah

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Apr 2019 10:15

https://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2019/ ... amaat.html

Did Manmohan, Sonia lend credence to Tauheed Jamaat, prime suspect of Sri Lanka serial blast?

Sunday was a black day for Christians in Sri Lanka as they unexpectedly confronted the serial bomb blast that took a toll of over 300 people and scores were injured. Though no organization has claimed responsibility for this dastardly act, the Sri Lankan authorities have since named the National Tauheed Jamaat -- an extremist organization on the island -- as responsible for the horrific acts of terror.

A faction of this organization is also active in Tamil Nadu bearing the same name and surprisingly its name is connected with terror acts according to the newspaper reports.

According to the Times of India report, the Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat General Secretyary E Mohammad has said that there was no link with National Tauheed Jamaat of Sri Lanka but it is an open secret that Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat and Sri Lanka’s National Tauheed Jamaat are complimentary to each other and this organization was established in 2003 in Tamil Nadu.

According to Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat General Secretary E Mohammad the organization does conduct social service activities such as blood donation, relief activities, etc. The Sri Lankan Tauheed Jamaat President Abdul Gafar Shisam said that they cooperate with Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat in social activities and run campaign against terrorism.

The Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat runs orphanages, old age homes, helps students with their education, teaches Islam and also has 800 prayer halls across the state.

However, an FIR was lodged against the Tawheed Jamat’s one faction active in Tamil Nadu in October 2017. It was alleged that this organization converted some Christians to Islam by force.

The same organization in 2010 called on the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in connection with their demand for reservation to Muslims as per the recommendations of the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission.

According to the reports the Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat had organized a massive rally of Muslims in Chennai. The impact of that huge rally was felt by the then UPA government at the centre and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, UPA Chairperson decided to meet their leaders.

Both the leaders had 15 minute meeting with the representatives of the Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat separately. After the meetings they assured the Jamaat leaders that the government would do the needful in the matter at the earliest. On other hand the Jamaat leaders claimed that the PM and Sonia Gandhi were so impressed by the show of the strength by the Muslims under Jamaat’s leadership that they on their own invited the Jamaat leaders for meeting.

Both the leaders had promised the Tauheed Jamaat leaders that the government will do the needful in the matter at the earliest. Maulvi Zainul Abideen presented to both PM and Sonia a copy of English translation of Holy Quran and his book “Mohamed (PBUH) the Man Supreme”.

However, the name Tauheed is used by many an Islamic organizations and the name mean ‘One God’. But the extremists use this word as fundamentalist expression. Tamil Nadu Tauheed Jamaat’s General Secretary E Mohammad accepted to having a sister organization in Sri Lanka called Sri Lanka Tauheed Jamaat, but hastened to clarify that they have no relation whatsoever with the National Tauheed Jamaat.

“The blasts in Lanka are against our ideology. They say Islamists have done it. They are naming the National Tauheed Jamaat. We don't know who they are. We have nothing to do with them,” he said.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Apr 2019 10:15

so both the UPA and the TN parties have been pandering to these islamists. no wonder they have grown in strength.

so far there is not one islamist party pan india other than indira congress - AIUDF in assam, Owaisi in Hyd are regional players...perhaps a new mahdi will unite these factions and start the crusade.