Sri Lanka bans two Islamist groups believed behind attacks

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has banned two groups it believes are behind the Easter Sunday bombings in the country that claimed lives of more than 250 people, international media reported.

President Maithripala Sirisena, under his powers, outlawed two Islamist groups–National Thawheedh Jamaath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim.

The announcement comes nearly a week after the Easter Sunday attacks.

Authorities could not act earlier to ban the two little-known groups because the law required them to show firm evidence against them, the report added.