DNA tests confirm identity of Easter Sunday bombers

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama   

The Government Analyst’s Department said yesterday the DNA tests it carried out had confirmed the identity of the suicide bombers including that of Mohomad Zaharan, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. 

He told the daily media briefing that the tests were carried out by the Government Analyst’s Department using blood samples collected from their close relatives.   

He said two siblings were involved in the blasts at the Shangri-la and the Cinnamon Grand hotels in Colombo.   

Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Ilham Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Insaf Ahmed had been identified as the terrorists involved in the two separate attacks. The DNA of the suicide bombers were matched with the DNA of their father Ibrahim.   

The National Thowheed Jama’at (NTJ) leader Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran’s DNA was matched with that of his wife and daughter. Zahran blew himself at the Shangri-la Hotel.   The suicide bomber of St. Sebastian’s Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo was identified as Atchchi Muhammadu Muhammadu Hasthun and his DNA matched those of his parents.   
The DNA of Alawdeen Ahmed Muath identified as the one who blasted himself at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, Kotahena matched those of his parents.   

The DNA of Mohammed Latif Jameel Mohammed who was responsible for the explosion at the Tropical Inn in Dehiwala matched that of his children. 

 
The DNA of Muhammad Nazar Mohammad Azad who detonated the bomb at the Zion Church in Batticaloa matched that of his mother.   

The person who blew himself up at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo has been identified as Mohamed Azam Mohamed Mubarak and his DNA matched that of his child.   

The female suicide bomber Mohammed Fatima Jafri had been identified as the wife of  Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Ilham Ahmed who had blasted himself at the Shangri-la Hotel. The DNA tests confirmed that the three children killed in the blast at Dematagoda belonged to them.