Children of millionaires and postgraduate graduates abroad: profile of Sri Lankan terrorists

The majority of suicide bombers who attacked churches and hotels in Sri Lanka came from "upper and middle clbad families"Even two were the children of a millionaire and another had studied law in the United Kingdom and Australia, according to Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene.

"A large part of this group of suicide bombers received instructions and came from the middle clbad or high, so they were quite independent and their families fairly financially stable. This is a very worrying factor, "said the official, adding:" Some of them had studied in several countries, had a masters in law and they were very well educated people"

The official particularly pointed out the studies conducted by one of the terrorists, Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed: studied law in the UK and then took postgraduate courses in Australia before returning to Sri Lanka.

Terrorist family and tragedy

Authorities said the attackers included brothers Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim and Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim, aged 31 and 33. children of a millionaire business man importer of spices.

Both have exploded in Shangri-La and Cinnamon hotels. Fatima The pregnant woman of Ilham, activated the detonator from a bomb when the police arrived home. In fact is also dead their two little children

Stopped and released

One of these two brothers, Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, he had been arrested by the police before the attack, but then it was made public, as reported on the CNN a spokesman for the Sri Lankan government.

In this regard, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, confirmed that many of the the attackers were under surveillancebut that there was not "enough" evidence to stop them. He also confirmed that the perpetrators of these attacks were well educated and had a lot of money and that their profile was "surprising".

Who is now arrested is the father of both, the billionaire Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim. The authorities believe that he helped his children commit the attack.

L & # 39; attack

Last Sunday, the explosion of bombs rocked the country of the Indian subcontinent. Three Catholic churches and three hotels in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, were totally destroyed. Terrorist action has left a record of 359 dead and more than 500 wounded.

The attacks were claimed Tuesday by the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) and the government said they had been committed in "retaliation" for the crime of 50 Muslims in two mosques in New Zealand last March .