Easter bombings in Sri Lanka: NTJ suspect among five repatriated from Saudi Arabia, say officials

Colombo: Five suspects linked to the Easter sunday bombings in Sri Lanka have been repatriated from Saudi Arabia, police said on Friday. The suspects also include Mohamed Milhan, a prominent member of the banned terror outfit National Thawheed Jamath (NTJ) that was responsible for the attacks. [caption id=“attachment_6496961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo. AP[/caption] Milhan was also listed as a terror suspect in the Intelligence warnings issued before the Easter sunday terror attacks, the Times Online reported. A team comprising officials of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) took the suspects in its custody in Saudi Arabia and brought them back for further questioning. “Officers of the CID brought the suspects back to Sri Lanka this morning,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said in a statement. A series of coordinated blasts on 21 April targeted three churches and high-end hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others. Earlier, the Sri Lankan government banned the NTJ after the deadly attacks and arrested over 100 people in connection with the blasts. A parliament official was among six people arrested last month for their alleged links to the banned Islamic extremist group.