Colombo: A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil medium teacher and a school principal, have been arrested in Sri Lanka in connection with the Easter Sunday blasts, police said Sunday, even as the Islamic State (IS) claimed the three militants who blew themselves up during a raid in the Eastern province were its members.
As the country marked a week since the coordinated blasts hit three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and injuring over 500 others, police and security forces continued their hunt for members of the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), the local terror outfit behind the attack.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is carrying out the interrogation of the 106 suspects, ‘Colombo Page’ reported. The 40-year-old Tamil medium school teacher was arrested as he was in possession of 50 SIM cards and other incriminating items, the report said. He was held following a joint operation conducted by the Kalpitiya Police and the Navy.
In another search conducted by the army and police in Vavuniya town, 10 suspects were arrested. Meanwhile, two suspects were arrested in Damgedara area in Galle during a search conducted on information received of a school managed by the NTJ.
One of the suspects is the principal of the school and the other is a doctor who has served as an instructor. The Galle police are conducting further investigations.
Sri Lanka on Saturday banned the NTJ and a splinter group linked to the IS.