New Zealand says it has 'not yet seen' intelligence linking Sri Lanka bombings to Christchurch massacre

Sri Lanka’s state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, said earlier today that the early findings of the ongoing probe found that the suicide bombings were in revenge for the March 15 deadly attacks at two mosques in Christchurch.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Photo | AP)

New Delhi: New Zealand has said that it hasn’t yet seen any intelligence reports that link the devastating Sri Lanka bombings to the Christchurch massacre that took place in the country last month and that the investigations in Sri Lanka were still in the nascent stage. The office of Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said late Tuesday that New Zealand government has seen the reports of the statement by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Defence alleging the link between the Easter Sunday attack and Christchurch, but has not yet seen any intelligence report that support the statement. It said that New Zealand understands the Sri Lankan investigation into the attack is in its early stages. New Zealand has not yet seen any intelligence upon which such an assessment might be based, it said. "New Zealanders oppose terrorism and extreme violence in all its forms. In the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks, it was the condemnation of the perpetrators of violence and a message of peace that unified us all," they said. Sri Lanka’s state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, said earlier today that the early findings of the ongoing probe found that the suicide bombings were in revenge for the March 15 deadly attacks at two mosques in Christchurch which left 50 people dead. "The preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka (on Sunday) was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch," Wijewardene told parliament. According to an intelligence memo sent to some government officials before the attack, a member of the Islamic extremist group blamed for the Sri Lanka attacks had posted "extremist content" on social media after the Christchurch shootings were carried out by a right-wing extremist, Wijewardene said.