ISIS Claims Responsibility For Easter Weekend Bombings In Sri Lanka

Militant Islamic terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the series of Easter bombings that rocked Sri Lanka.

The suicide bombings rocked churches and hotels across Sri Lanka as people were gathering to celebrate Easter weekend. The bombings killed over 300 people and injured at least 500 people. Originally, officials blamed the bombings on the National Thowfeek Jamaath and had arrested 24 possible suspects.

However, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings on Tuesday. The group made the announcement through its news agency, Amaq, with a statement released by the outlet. The statement was translated by Intelligence Group, who tracks extremist groups.

While ISIS claimed responsibility, they didn’t offer any evidence to support it.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe did acknowledge the ISIS statement and the possibility of the group being behind it during a press conference in Sri Lanka’s capital city of Colombo.

"All that we knew earlier is that there were foreign links and that this could not have been done just locally," Wickremesinghe said.

"There has been training done and a coordination which we have not seen earlier."

The Sri Lanka Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene also spoke Tuesday, announcing the results from a preliminary investigation. He said the early results still point to National Thowfeek Jamaath along with another local extremist group, Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim.

He also said the motives are believed to be in retaliation for the March Christchurch Mosque shooting in New Zealand.