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Sri Lankan police probe reports of first Sri Lankan IS militant

Xinhua, July 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lanka's Police has launched an investigation to ascertain if a man said to have been killed while fighting for the Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria is a Sri Lankan national.

Police Spokesperson ASP Ruwan Gunasekara told Xinhua that Sri Lanka's Police Chief, Inspector General of Police (IGP) N.K. Ilangakoon had ordered the DIG of the country's Central Province to investigate the whereabouts of the man and probe whether he had left the country to join the IS.

Investigating officers have thus far recovered the National Identity Card of the man and investigations are ongoing, Gunasekara said.

Local media reports have alleged that the militant was known in the IS organization as Abu Shuraih Sailani and he was reportedly a former Sri Lankan Karate instructor and a principal of an international school.

A member of the school management told journalists on Monday that the suspected militant had served for two years as a principal of the school in Galewela, in Central Sri Lanka and had suddenly resigned from his job saying he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He is believed to have been killed in an air strike last week.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka on Tuesday wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena requesting his government to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and punish all those who may have violated the laws of the land and ensure that no more Sri Lankans are misled to joining any terrorist movement.

"As civil society representatives of Muslims, we commit to help in any investigation and action that would be initiated by the government," the letter stated.

"The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Muslim community, express its deep dismay of media reports of the first Sri Lankan killed in battle in Syria with IS. This group of extremists who call themselves the caliphate or Islamic State ( Formerly known as ISIS) is a threat to Islam and the group violates both Sharia law and humanitarian law," the letter further said. Endi