Iran Press/Asia: "What intelligence agencies have told me is that Zahran Hashim was killed during the Shangri-La attack," President Maithripala Sirisena told reporters, referring to Zahran Hashim, leader of a local extremist group, believed to have played key role in Sri Lanka's Easter deadly attack, BBC reported.
He added that Hashim led the attack against the high-end hotel and was accompanied by a second bomber, identified only as 'Ilham'.
He said the information came from military intelligence and was based in part on CCTV footage recovered from the scene.
Hashim appeared in a video released by the ISIS group after they claimed the bombings, but his whereabouts after the blasts were not immediately clear.
More than 359 people were killed in the attacks against three churches and three hotels. A fourth planned attack on a hotel failed.
Security forces had been on a desperate hunt for Hashim, believed to be around 40, after the government named the group he led - the National Thowheeth Jama'ath - as its prime suspect.
His appearance in the ISIS video, where he is seen leading a group of seven others in a pledge of allegiance to ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, only heightened fears about the radical.
He was a relative unknown before the attacks, though local Muslim leaders say they had reported him on more than one occasion to authorities for his extremist views and behaviour.
Series of blasts in Sri Lanka occurred on Easter Sunday. At least seven suicide bombers have been involved in Sri Lanka terrorist attacks.
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Multiple blasts hit Sri Lanka churches, hotels on Easter Sunday; 207 dead, 500 injured
The first six took place at three churches in capital city Colombo as well as in Negombo and Batticaloa towns and at three hotels, while the next two explosions occurred in Dehiwala and Dematagoda—two suburbs of Colombo.
Also, an improvised explosive device was discovered in close proximity to the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Sri Lanka's top police official, Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, has resigned over failures that led to the deadly Easter bomb attacks, Sri Lankan president said Friday.
The resignation comes after the country's top defence ministry official, defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned on Thursday.
The sister of a man believed to the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday carnage in Sri Lanka is furious with her brother for causing so much pain and suffering to others.101/209/213
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