Breaking: President sacks security chiefs over handling of attacks

 Following the several coordinated bombing attacks that left over 300 dead on Easter Sunday, top security officials in the country have been asked to resign by the president over poor handling of the situation.

At least 45 children were among the more than 350 people killed and at least 500 wounded in the deadliest attack in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war 10 years ago.

The blasts targeted three churches, as well as four hotels – including the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and the Cinnamon Grand – in the capital Colombo.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, President Maithripala Sirisena, said he has demanded the resignations of the defence secretary, Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundara.

“The security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me. Appropriate actions would have been taken. I have decided to take stern action against these officials.”

Recall that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the bombings via its Amaq news portal.

“Those who carried out the attack that targeted the citizens of the coalition and Christians in Sri Lanka the day before yesterday were Islamic State fighters,” the group said in a statement.

ALSO READ: ISIS claims responsibility of Sri Lanka Easter Sunday attacks

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Muslim civil society movements and associations have called upon authorities to immediately arrest and punish the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday bombings, saying extremism in the name of Islam does not represent the religion.

A joint statement says authorities should also apprehend those who aided and abetted the attackers through incitement, financing and other support.

It says neither the National Thowheed Jamath nor those who carried out the attacks represent Islam or reflect Muslim beliefs. The statement says they have misused and abused Islam in order to fit their own radical and anti-Islamic agenda, and are criminals.

The signatories include All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the Muslim Council, Jama’athe Islami, the Memon Association of Sri Lanka and Anjuman-E Saifi.