Zahran issued weapons & gave firearm training to Kattankudy youths in 2009: Witness

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – Leader of the National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) Zahran Hashim was openly using firearms to threaten Sufi Muslims and he was giving firearm training to selected Kattankudy youths even in 2009, it was revealed at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing Easter Sunday attacks yesterday.

Sunday Times journalist, Chris Kamalendran, testifying before the Commission said that he had interviewed Zahran in 2009 over a feud between traditional Muslims and Wahabbists and he visited Kattankudy in August that year.

“When I visited Sufi Muslim leaders, they told me that Zahran’s group had attacked nearly 100 houses owned by Sufis” he said.

Kamalendran said that he met Zahran at a small office in Kattankudy and while he was conducting the interview, he noticed that there were T-56 firearms in the adjacent room.

He added that Muslims in Kattankudy were given weapons in 1990 during President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s regime through M.L.A.M. Hizbullah. “The weapons have been distributed publicly, a month after the Kattankudy Mosque was attacked by the LTTE,” he said.

The witness further said that even now Zahran’s group was providing weapon training and there had been frequent attacks on Sufis.

He also added that he asked Batticaloa DIG Edwin Gunathilaka and ASP Kandewatta of Kattankudy about these incidents.

“They were aware of the attacks even as early as 2009, but said there was political pressure on them to ignore extremist activities. If they had taken steps against this, they said they would have been immediately transferred,” the witness added. (Courtesy – DM)