The Ministry of Defence says it has no information over the alleged presence of Jihadists in Sri Lanka.
Government Minister PataliChampikaRanawaka was quoted in the media yesterday as saying there were Jihadists operating in the country.
However when questioned over the claims, Defence Ministry and military spokesman Brigadier RuwanWanigasooriya said that the military had not come across any tangible evidence to support such claims.
He said the military intelligence maintains a presence that covers the entire country and it has not found evidence to back claims of such groups operating in the country.
“At present what we need to worry more about is the common enemy which is the international pressure brought upon by the separatist elements of the Tamil Diaspora rather than focus on threats which are not in existence. Our common enemy right now is the separatist elements that has gained access to some foreign governments, international organisations and international non-governmental organisations with the prime objective of establishing a separate state in the North and East of Sri Lanka. As a nation irrespective of religious or other differences we have to work together to defeat that threat rather than worrying about internal differences with which we have lived harmoniously for thousands of years,” he added.
By Camelia Nathaniel
-Thesundayleader
Government Minister PataliChampikaRanawaka was quoted in the media yesterday as saying there were Jihadists operating in the country.
However when questioned over the claims, Defence Ministry and military spokesman Brigadier RuwanWanigasooriya said that the military had not come across any tangible evidence to support such claims.
He said the military intelligence maintains a presence that covers the entire country and it has not found evidence to back claims of such groups operating in the country.
“At present what we need to worry more about is the common enemy which is the international pressure brought upon by the separatist elements of the Tamil Diaspora rather than focus on threats which are not in existence. Our common enemy right now is the separatist elements that has gained access to some foreign governments, international organisations and international non-governmental organisations with the prime objective of establishing a separate state in the North and East of Sri Lanka. As a nation irrespective of religious or other differences we have to work together to defeat that threat rather than worrying about internal differences with which we have lived harmoniously for thousands of years,” he added.
By Camelia Nathaniel
-Thesundayleader
