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Sri Lanka’s authorities arrest seven terrorists — paper

On April 21, the heaviest in the country’s history series of terror attacks occurred in Sri Lanka

© AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena

MOSCOW, May 8. /TASS/. Sri Lanka’s police arrested seven members of the terrorist organization National Thawheed Jama'ath who were preparing to become suicide attackers, Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror reported on Wednesday.

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According to the law enforcement authorities, the arrested were closely linked with the organizer of a series of explosions in Sri Lanka. "It is revealed that the suspects had been trained very discreetly in Hambantota over a long period on the use of arms. Mohamed Nasar Mohamed Asath who blew up inside the Zion Church in Batticaloa is said to have provided the training instructions," the newspaper reported.

The police are currently interrogating them on their involvement in the terror attacks.

On April 21, the heaviest in the country’s history series of terror attacks occurred in Sri Lanka, in which about 250 people were killed. Eight explosions shook the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa, in particular in Catholic churches during Easter services and in hotels. Authorities believe the local group National Thawheed Jama'ath, which may have links to foreign Islamist organizations, to be behind the terror attacks. The authorities have detained more than 100 people supposedly involved in the attacks.

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