Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress - Rauff Hakeem has stated that the National Thawheed Jamaath or its leader Zaharan Hashim were not directly linked to ISIS, and the true mastermind behind the 2019 April 21st attacks is a completely different force which wanted to destabilise the country.
He had stated thus while testifying yesterday (07) at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the Easter Sunday attacks.
”Their ultimate goal was achieved, that was to destabilise the country. The ISIS banner was used merely for namesake and Zaharan as well as his group were hired as pawns to carry out the attacks by this force’’.
‘’This is a one off incident. This was meant to happen once and it will not happen again”, Hakeem had added.
After this statement, the Commissioners posed a question to Hakeem and asked him to reveal the ‘force’ behind the attack. Responding to the commissioners the witness said, ”I can name them without the presence of the media”.
(Source : newsfirst)