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Fear of Ramadan attacks further heighten tensions in a shaken Sri Lanka

Amid intelligence reports that Islamic militants were likely to strike before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, due to begin on Monday, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed security forces will “eradicate terrorism”.

“There are another 25-30 suspects still at large, but there is no information yet to say these suspects are suicide bombers,” he said.

Scores of suspected Islamic fundamentalists have been arrested after the Easter attacks, which targeted Christians and luxury hotels and claimed the lives of more than 250 people, including 42 foreign nationals.

Sirisena said it was his intention to eliminate terrorism on the island nation before Sri Lankans go to the polls later this year.

“Elections cannot be postponed, therefore before the elections I will bring about stability and I will eradicate terrorism,” Sirisena told Reuters on Saturday.

“We have already identified all active members of the group and it’s a case of now arresting them,” Sirisena said.

Police have said two previously little-known groups – National Thawheedh Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim – carried out the bombings.

Sirisena said intelligence services from eight countries, including the US FBI and Interpol, were helping Sri Lanka with the investigation.

Local intelligence officials believe Zahran Hashim, a radical Tamil-speaking preacher from the eastern section of the Indian Ocean island nation, may have been a key player in the bombings.

Officials believe Hashim was one of nine suicide bombers.

Sirisena said the military and police have made huge progress with their investigations, but emphasised that more needs to be done.

The government has banned women from wearing face veils under an emergency law that was put in place after the attacks.

Sri Lanka’s leaders, including the president, have come under heavy criticism for failing to heed warnings from Indian intelligence services – at least three in April alone – that an attack was imminent.

Critics said infighting between the president and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had undermined the response to the militant threat. But Sirisena said he and the prime minister were co-operating on national security issues.

The tourism sector has grown rapidly in the last decade since the Sri Lankan government defeated the rebel Tamil Tigers. Around 2.5 million tourists visit the island nation each year.

“It’s a big blow to the economy, as well as the tourism industry,” Sirisena said. “For the economy to develop it’s important tourism to return to where it was before the attacks.”

-AAP

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