Two brothers were both suicide bombers in the Sri Lanka massacre — and one of their wives later blew up herself and their two children during a police raid, according to a report.
The unnamed brothers, both in their 20s and sons of a wealthy local spice trader, hit two of three luxury hotels during the devastation that left at least 321 dead, officers told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
They separately checked into the Cinnamon Grand hotel and the Shangri-La on Saturday — setting off explosives-laden backpacks at virtually the same time the next morning, the report claims.
While one gave fake details at check-in, the other reportedly gave his real address, leading police commandos to their family home in a commercial area of the capital, Colombo.
“When the Special Task Force went there to investigate, one brother’s wife set off explosives, killing herself and her two children,” the officer told AFP, who said other family members are among the 40 arrested.
“It was a single terror cell operated by one family,” the investigator said.
“They had the cash and the motivation. They operated the cell, and it is believed they influenced their extended family.”
The “family cell” was part of the Islamist National Thowheeth Jama’ath group blamed for the attacks, the official added.
Another senior police source told AFP, “What we have gathered so far is that they had indicated to their close family what they were going to do.
“It looks like they were inspired by foreign terrorist groups, but to what extent they had direct links is still unclear.”
With Post wires