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Young female follower of Zahran Hashim arrested

20 Feb, 2021

A young female follower of Easter Sunday attacks mastermind Zahran Hashim has been arrested.

Police Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ajith Rohana said that the 24-year-old woman had attended classes led by Zahran Hashim.

He said that six women were arrested by the Terrorism Investigations Division (TID) last December.

DIG Ajith Rohana said that following further investigations another woman was arrested yesterday (Friday).

The woman is a resident of Mawanella and has been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

DIG Ajith Rohana said that the father and three sisters of the woman are already in remand.

The Terrorism Investigations Division is conducting further investigations.

Hashim was the alleged mastermind behind the bomb attacks that hit the country’s capital Colombo as well as Negombo and Batticaloa on Easter Sunday in 2019.

Over 250 people, including 45 children and 40 foreign nationals, were killed in the deadly explosions.

Videos and speeches of Hashim were also used by jihadi gangs to radicalise youth in Tamil Nadu calling for violent jihad to liberate their associates lodged in prisons. (Colombo Gazette)

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