You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka bombings: Suspected ringleader arrested in Middle East
2019-06-15
See also this arrest in India.
[DW] One of the main suspects behind the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka has been extradited to the country. More than 250 people were killed in a string of attacks at churches and hotels across the island.

A man accused of being one of the ringleaders behind the Easter Sunday kabooms that killed more than 250 people in Sri Lanka on April 21 has been arrested, Interpol said Friday.

Hayathu Mohammed Ahmed Milhan, a 29-year-old Sri Lankan national, was arrested in the Middle East and has been extradited to Sri Lanka.

Interpol said he and four other men connected to the bombings were en route from Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

"The arrest and extradition of one of the key suspects in the Sri Lanka kabooms is an important step in the ongoing investigation, and one which Interpol is proud to have supported," Secretary General Jurgen Stock said.

No details were given as to where exactly in the Middle East the men were arrested.

SUSPECT AN INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF LOCAL ISLAMIST GROUP
In the attacks, nine jacket wallahs targeted three churches, three luxury hotels and two other locations. Most of the victims were Catholic.

In the immediate aftermath, ethnic tensions flared in Sri Lanka, pitting majority Sinhala residents against the country's Moslem minority. At least one person was killed in the resulting festivities.

Though "Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
" (IS) grabbed credit for the attacks, the Sri Lankan government blamed local Islamist groups. The 29-year-old that was arrested is said to have been in line to take control of one of those groups, the National Thawheedh Jamaath (NJT).

The NJT, which draws on ultraconservative Wahhabi tenets associated with Saudi Arabia, was founded in 2014 by the radical preacher Mohammed Zaharan. Authorities say Zaharan was one of the suicide bombers in the coordinated attack.

Sri Lankan authorities have arrested some 2,000 people in connection with the attacks, 634 of whom are still in jug, while the rest have been released on bail.

'IS' SEEKING A FOOTHOLD IN INDIA
On Wednesday, Indian authorities announced that they had seized electronic devices and arrested seven men during raids on seven homes in the southern city of Coimbatore. Police suspect the men are part of an Islamist cell in the area.

In recent months, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also arrested more than a dozen individuals thought to be planning attacks in New Delhi.

Last month, after festivities between Indian security forces and jihadis in Kashmire, "IS" claimed that it had established a "province" in India. The group has been seeking to establish a presence on the Indian subcontinent since being driven out of Iraq and Syria.
Relatedly, I highly recommend Dron66046’s comments on the subjects of radical Muslims and Jamaat organizations from a few days ago.
Posted by:trailing wife

#4  There's the facebook trail he left as Milhan. In 2009, a terse little record of conversations in translated arabic with an individual known only as Asad. Possibly the recruiter. Then the account lies unused. On medical and legal records the name is Ahmed Milhan Hayathu. Then on passport and network subscription it's Hayathul Mohamed. His associates from India refer to him as Ahmed, but in video threats he wants to be known as Abu...these rats. You get the picture. Can't say more.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-06-15 13:28  

#3  Abu Seelan gives us this from SL Media, among others:

The armed wing leader Mohamed Milhan alias Abu Seelan was also said to have been ready for a suicide attack.

At the time Zahran and his group carried out the Easter Sunday attacks; Milhan had been to Mecca on a pilgrimage. According to information revealed through investigations, Milhan had been prepared to carry out a second spate of attacks.He was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka for this attack on April 30. However, although he had arrived at the Saudi Airport, he had not boarded the flight and had been at the airport.

However, after the Interpol and the International Intelligence units had alerted the Saudi officials, Milhan who was hiding at the airport was apprehended the same day. Although the Saudi law enforcement officials had said they would deport Milhan on a flight that same evening, even after a week no action had been taken to have him deported. A special team comprising CID and SIS officers had gone to Saudi Arabia to bring Milhan back but they returned without success.

The Saudi Authorities had agreed to hand over Milhan to Sri Lanka after diplomatic overtures and the special CID team had gone to Saudi Arabia on June 11 based on that agreement, according to informed sources.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-06-15 12:30  

#2  Oh good. I googled the name in the article last night, but there were no hits. Do you have a link for that, Dron66046?

Using Hayathu Mohamed Milhan threw up only one hit:

Mohammed Zahran’s Key Deputy Hayathu Mohamed Milhan (30) Along with Four Associates Mohamed Marsook (34)Mohideen Sabri(47)Mohammed Ismail(29) and Aboosally Abubakar(37) Arrested and Deported From Jeddah to Colombo

[DBSJEYARAJ] The police have begun questioning five persons, including Hayathu Mohamed Milhan, who had alleged links with the Easter Sunday suicide bombers.

The suspects arrested in the Middle East, following the April 21 attacks, were extradited yesterday.

They were the first Easter Sunday suspects to be extradited since the high profile investigation began. Police headquarters said that all suspects were hardcore members of the group responsible for the Easter attacks.

Police Superintendent attorney-at-law Ruwan Gunasekera said that a team of officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) brought the group of suspects from Jeddah.

The plane carrying them touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at 4 am, Friday, SP Gunasekera said.

Police described Milhan as a key leader, who had been closely involved with Zahran Hashim, widely believed to be the leader of the now proscribed National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ).

The police said that 30-year-old Milhan had been responsible for the killing of two police constables at Vavnativu, Batticaloa in Nov 2018. The suspect from Kattankudy had been one of Zahran’s closest associates and knew what was happening on the ground. Earlier police arrested two others, including Zahran’s driver over their involvement in Vavunativu killings. Since then, the police have recovered two weapons taken by Milhan from the murdered police officers.

Initially, the police blamed ex-LTTE cadres for Vavnativu killings. One ex- LTTE suspect arrested in connection with the double murder was recently released on a magisterial directive after the police informed Batticaloa court of the latest developments.

Police identified Milhan’s associates as 34-year-old Mohamed Marsook (Maradamunai), Mohideen Sabri (47) of Wellampitiya, Mohamed Ismail (29) of Kattankudy and Aboosally Abubakar (37) of Kebitigollewa.

The police said that with the arrest of the Milhan’s group, the total number of suspects in the custody of the CID was 77 whereas there were 25 held by the Terrorist Investigations Division.

The nom de jihad Abu Seelan, however, was much more fruitful.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-06-15 12:25  

#1  Hayathu Mohamed Milhan (30) alias Abu Seelan, the successor of Thowhid Jammat's leader Zahran Hashim, along with four of his associates - Mohamed Marsook (34,)Mohideen Sabri(47),Mohammed Ismail(29) and Aboosally Abubakar(37) were arrested and extradited from Jeddah to Colombo and reached this morning at 4 am (IST). The entire operation was possible only due to timely intervention by interpol and their coordination with Saudi police. According to Srilankan National Security officials, with the arrest of the Milhan’s group, the total number of suspects in their custody are 106 including 25 held by the Terrorist Investigations Division.

Also, vigilante groups have carried out their own 'cleanse' on certain known islamism prone areas and neighborhoods. A total of 12 people, including family members of the Easter conspirators have been lynched and numerous shops and businesses destroyed. The tamil and moor muslim community has had to leave many neighborhoods and ultimately the 'division' of society that politicians try to protect against by appeasing these people is complete.

Proves that the division always exists, whether you choose to see it or not. If you won't segregate and profile them, they will have you do it anyway, but at greater cost.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-06-15 08:55  

00:00