Sri Lankan software engineer, who was under Indian surveillance, key in April attacks

Colombo (News 1st): A Sri Lankan software engineer suspected by authorities of having provided technical and logistical support to the 04/21 suicide bombers was monitored by Indian intelligence agencies for three years. According to Reuters the arrest of Adhil Aneez, a 24-year-old, was confirmed by Police media spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara and Adhil was taken into custody on April 25, four days after the attacks. Adhil, who describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a senior engineer/programmer/web designer with a masters degree in computer science and a bachelors in political science from U.K. universities. Reuters said Indian investigators had been monitoring Adhil since 2016 and named him in two charge sheets filed in Indian courts against suspected Islamic State operatives as being one of their contacts. According to one of the charge sheets, he showed up in Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram chat with two of the suspects who are on trial for plotting an attack on a synagogue in the western city of Ahmedabad. Adhil has also been named in another charge sheet filed in court by the National Intelligence Agency for providing propaganda and online material to three Indians arrested in early 2016 for promoting Islamic State. Reuters was unable to determine when the Indians informed Sri Lankan authorities of the surveillance and whether they continued to keep Adhil under surveillance after they completed an investigation of the cases in India. Reuters goes on to note sources from the Criminal Investigation Department and two military officials saying that Adhil was the link between the National Tawheed Jamaath and the Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim involved in the synchronized blasts on April 21st. The groups used the dark web and WhatsApp to communicate. However, investigators don’t know yet whether Adhil was simply a facilitator for the bombers, or if he was also one of the ring leaders involved in planning and executing the attacks. About a week before the bombings, Adhil met Jameel, Zahran, Inshaf Ibrahim and Ilham Ibrahim. A CID source said that Adhil, Zahran and the Ibrahim brothers had leased land in Wanathawilluwa town in the north and set up a training camp. When police raided Adhil’s home four days after the bombings, all his computer files were found to have been deleted. Reuters quoted a military source to claim Adhil played an important role in setting up communications for the attackers, helping organize meetings and training camps.