SL envoy says steps being taken to ensure IS doesn’t gain ground in South Asia

Sri Lanka is taking all steps necessary in collaboration with other countries, including India, to ensure the Islamic State or IS doesn’t spread its tentacles in south Asia, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Austin Fernando, has said.

In an interview with ThePrint, Mr. Fernando has said investigations are still going on, but some of those who had links with the IS are under custody. "Some have committed suicide; therefore, numbers are reduced. We are also working with international organisations to ensure that any person who is involved in these types of activities is controlled in other countries too,”

He said both India and Sri Lanka would now jointly work together in carrying out counter-terrorism measures. “Countering terrorism cannot be done by individual states. There has to be a group effort,” he added.

In the aftermath of the terror attacks in Sri Lanka, several media reports suggested that the terrorists had visited some Indian cities.

“This message was first given by the Indian intelligence to our intelligence agencies. After the attacks, there were so many countries, including India, who sent their teams to investigate. Some of them are still there. Therefore, the interest of international (community) getting involved in finding or solving the issue is still there,” Fernando said.

“A joint anti-terror mechanism has been in the offing, which we had informed India. But the fact remains, whether it is these three countries or any other countries…There are so many countries, even those in the West, because they have information and they have enhanced technology. So, international groups getting involved in this is most welcome,” he said.