Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) on Saturday announced that the threat of terrorism posed to Maldives increased after the April 21 bombings in Sri Lanka.
Vice Chief of Defence Force Brigadier General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef took the recent terrorist attacks on a mosque in the normally tranquil New Zealand as an example that there was no room to say that any country is beyond the threat of terrorism.
The trial against the armed perpetrator who entered and killed many muslim worshippers is currently underway in the country.
"It was a very tragic incident that occurred in our neighbouring country Sri Lanka. As a result, the threat faced by Maldives has increased. It is not possible to say any country is beyond danger. Our country also faces the threat", said Abdul Raheem.
He affirmed that MNDF is prepared to take any and all countermeasures to defend against such threats. He further revealed that work to enhance a threat assessment mechanism and to secure Maldives against identified threats are underway.
As a result of the nine suicide bombing attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, 258 people were killed and over 500 were injured across Sri Lanka. The country remains under a state of emergency.
Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal revealed that work is underway to collaborate with relevant institutions to establish a counterterrorism framework. He stated that work is further underway by the institutions to bring amendments to the Prevention of Terror Act.
Shamaal said, "Any and all measures are being taken to secure Maldives from terrorist attacks, and if any such cases were to occur, to respond".
MNDF and Maldives Police Service recently conducted a series of training programmes. The armed forces previously issued a statement that the trainings were not being conducted as a result of a particular incident, but to prepare for any that might occur.
Information circulated Friday on social media speculating that a group of Maldivians who were alleged to have connections to the Islamic State (IS) were arrested in Addu Atoll. MNDF, however, declined knowledge of any such arrests of a group relating to IS in the southernmost atoll.
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