Sri Lanka: Sirisena bans NTJ, 2 other Islamist extremist organisations; prohibits use of drones

Sirisena also prohibited the use of drones in the country till any further notice issued in the country.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena/ AFP IMAGE

New Delhi: The government of Sri Lanka has taken a number of counter-terror steps in the wake of the deadly string blasts of Easter Sunday, the first one being the proscription of the local militant group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) along with two other Islamist extremist groups. The National Thowheeth Jama'ath has been held responsible for the country’s worst terror attack on Sunday at churches and high-end hotels of the island nation in which over 250 people were killed. President Maithripala Sirisena has issued extraordinary gazette banning a number of extremist organisations on Monday including the NTJ and the Jamaathe Millaathe Ibrahim (JMI), and the Willayath As Seylani. He also prohibited the use of drones in the country till any further notice issued in the country. Last month the island nation was rattled as nine suicide bombers carried out a series of eight explosions in and near the capital city of Colombo. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State terror group but government blamed NTJ for it. Over 1,000 have been arrested since the attacks. Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings. On Monday, the Sri Lankan government enforced a countrywide curfew and blocked social media platforms to stop people inciting violence as communal violence spread to new areas in the island nation in the worst unrest since Easter Sunday bombings.