Frontline – July 05, 2019

COVER STORY

THEMOSTSHOCKINGPART OFTHEBOMB
blastsonEaster Sundayis thatthere is noevidenceso far
to indicatethatanyof thematerialusedin theexplosives
ortheexpertisecamefromabroad.“Nothingcamefrom
abroadfromwhatI know,” saidanofficialinvolved in the
investigation.“Theexplosiveswerebased onprecursor
chemicals[synthesischemicalsandacids,oxidisers,and
fuels].”
Sowheredidtheexplosivescomefrom?“Theypro-
curedprecursorchemicalslocally.Thesechemicalsare
mostlynitrate-based,” theofficialsaid.Askedwhether
higher-order explosiveswerenotusedgiventhenumber
of human liveslost,theofficialsaid:“From allthesites,
thereis noindicationof C4[a varietyof plasticexplosive]

orsuchkindofsubstances.”Theimpactofa C4ora

similarclassof explosivewouldhave been muchhigher

forthesamequantity used.(AnAFPreportofMay 22

quoting investigators identified the explosive astri-

acetonetriperoxide,orTATP,anunstablebuteasily

made mixturefavoured byIslamicStatemilitantswho

callit “Motherof Satan”.)

Theotherexplosiverevelationis thatthereappeared

to benoonefromtheIslamicStateorganisationactively

guidingtheseradicalisedelementseachstepof theway.

Investigationssofar indicatethatthechemicalswere

combinedintodeadlyexplosivesfrominformationavail-

ablein thedarkwebontheInternet.It appearsthata trial

anderrormethodwasusedto preparethedeadlycocktail.

Home-bred terror

An extremistpreacher, willingaccomplicesandaccessto the Internet—

thatis all it tookto pulloff the April 21 suicidebombingsin Sri Lanka.

BYR.K.RADHAKRISHNAN

SRILANKANSOLDIERSinsideSt. Sebastian’sChurch in Katuwapitiyain Negombofollowinga bomb blaston April21.

AFP