Every terror attack across the globe invariably finds links with the terror factory in our neighborhood, Pakistan. It does not come as much of a surprise that the Easter bomb blasts in Sri Lanka reveal a clear link with Pakistan. It is being suspected that the terror attack on Sunday has been caused by a Pakistan based drug cartel.
Drug smugglers based of Pakistan have been using the Sri Lankan sea route for the last seven years to export drugs to Europe. This has been in existence ever since the Central Asian and Russian drug routes became inaccessible to them. According to an Indian source, drugs are boarded on boats and shipping vessels from Karachi and transferred to Sri Lanka. Thereafter, they are further taken to other countries in Europe. Smuggling via sea runs lesser risk and the high seas provide a relatively easy connectivity.
This fresh development is regarding the deadliest terror attacks in Sri Lankan history since the civil war, mainly targeting the Christians. The terror attacks have caused about 250 casualties so far. The probe has cleared the doubts about the motive behind the attack and has revealed that this was in retaliation for the Christchurch incident.
According to a report by ET, money generated from drug sales was used to finance terror activities and encourage extremist ideologies in eastern Sri Lanka at the behest of ISI. Due to the civil war, the country as a whole had ignored the rise of extremism in the eastern part of the nation. Moreover, this was also allowed to flourish as Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime had turned a blind eye to the activities in the Pakistan high commission in Colombo. An example of Pakistan High Commission’s notorious activities has been witnessed in India too, when, in 2014, it was discovered that an espionage ring busted in Chennai was controlled by a Pakistan diplomat with links to ISI. Two suspects identified as Mohamed Saleem (43) and Sri Lankan national Mohamed Sakir Hussain had arrived in Chennai to carry out terrorist acts as per instructions from their handler in the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo, Amir Zubair Siddiqui. They were convicted in the case by a special NIA court in 2018.
This development comes in light of yesterday’s events, wherein 9 Pakistani nationals were arrested for their involvement in the blast. According to news reports by News18, they have aided the terror attack by providing the suicide bombers resources for making the bombs along with other facilities. These 9 Pakistani nationals are undergoing intense questioning separately.
ISIS has taken reasonability of this attack. The warning signs of Islamic terrorism picking up in Sri Lanka had emerged in 2016 itself, when 32 Muslims joined the Islamic State. Islamist terrorism has gripped almost all countries of the world, emerging as the most pressing issue. Pakistan has been a major sponsor of terrorism in the world. They have been using the US given aid for supporting terrorism instead of countering it and have also provided a safe haven to the terrorists. Ever since their facade melted away, the US has drastically reduced the aids to the nation in order to curb their activities. FATF has grey listed the country because of its terrorist links and is considering to blacklist them. India has also internationally shamed its neighbor, in light of the JeM terror attack in Pulwama, that took the lives of 44 CRPF personnel. Now, in spite of everything on their plate already, the country has gone and gotten itself involved in the Sri Lankan attack.
