‘No evidence of Lanka bombers getting trained in Kashmir’

Srinagar, May 4 (IANS) Reacting sharply to Sri Lankan Army chief Mahesh Senanayake's statement that some of the 12 suicide bombers who carried out the Easter Sunday bombings were trained in Kashmir, a top intelligence officer here said that there was no input to prove the claim.

Speaking to IANS, the officer, who did not wish to be named, said: "We have no such information. The Sri Lankan intelligence has not sent us any input on this so that we can work on those links.

"As far as our information and inputs are concerned, there is nothing to prove that any of the suicide bombers involved in the attacks in Sri Lanka had visited Kashmir in connection with any subversive activity or for obtaining terror training."

Backing the officer's statement, a Union Home Ministry official said, "Sri Lanka hasn't shared any such information with us. More importantly, Sri Lankan security agencies have themselves ruled out this possibility after investigation."

There have been instances in the past when foreign militants, other than those belonging to Pakistan, got involved in militant activities in Kashmir.

Militants from Afghanistan, Sudan and even Chechnya have been killed by the security forces in Kashmir in the last 32 years. However, there have been no militancy-related incidents proving the involvement of Sri Lankan militants here.