Sri Lanka vows to overhaul state security

International Desk: Sri Lanka's president has vowed to overhaul state security after several bomb blasts on Sunday killed 359 people and wounded about 500.

Late on Tuesday, Maithripala Sirisena announced changes to the heads of defence forces "within 24 hours".

He said threat reports had not been shared with him, and promised to take "stern action" against officials.

The country's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Islamic State (IS) group may be linked to the blasts.

Mr Wickremesinghe said the government believed Sunday's attacks could not have been carried out without help from terror groups abroad.

IS claimed the attack on Tuesday, although did not provide evidence.
Police on Wednesday raised the death toll from the bombings to 359 from the previous 321.

In a televised address late on Tuesday President Sirisena said he would completely restructure the police and security forces in coming weeks.

"The security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me. I have decided to take stern action against these officials."

With IS claiming responsibility for the attacks, Sri Lanka is now entering uncharted territory.

Authorities say they are looking into possible links between the local Muslim youths who carried out the suicide bombings and the global jihadist group.

Source: BBC


risingbd/April 24, 2019/Mukul