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Arrested Maldivians are two MDP activists: media reports

29 April 2019, MVT 10:06
Sri Lankan soldiers inspect a car at a checkpoint in Colombo on April 27, 2019, following a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. - Fifteen people including six children have died during a Sri Lankan security forces operation in the aftermath of the Easter attacks, as three cornered suicide bombers blew themselves up and others were shot dead, police said on April 27. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
29 April 2019, MVT 10:06

The Maldivians currently under arrest in Sri Lanka are two senior activists of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Funama Adam Manik and Baikandi Hassan Manik, local media reported.

The two were detained over the past weekend after Sri Lankan police found a book on the Islamic State (IS) inside their residence.

The Sri Lankan court decided on Saturday to remand them for 13 days.

According to local media outlet Mihaaru, the book in question was 'Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS', a non-fiction book by an American journalist detailing the rise of the IS militant group.

Reportedly the book belongs to the owner of the house where Adam Manik and Hassan Manik are staying. The owner is said to be currently in capital Male'.

Adam and Hassan Manik were arrested not long after they entered Sri Lanka for medical purposes.

The Maldivian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Omar Razzaq declined to comment to media due to the nature of the situation.

Sri Lankan police also arrested four Maldivian students after finding drugs and an unlicensed air gun in their residence. However, the court has since released them.

According to media reports, no Maldivians have been accused of being involved in the Sri Lanka bombings.

The IS claimed responsibility for the string of bomb blasts across Sri Lanka, which killed over 250 people and injured 500 others on April 21. The authorities have since launched a mass crackdown to inspect residences across the country.

Maldives' Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on all Maldivians residing in Sri Lanka to abide by the instructions of the authorities and to fully cooperate with their operations. The ministry also urged them to contact the Maldivian embassy for consular services.

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