New Zealand has no information on SL terror link

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's office said on Tuesday that New Zealand "has not yet seen any intelligence" on the basis of which it can be said that suicide bombings in Sri Lanka were linked to the mosque attacks in Christchurch.

The New Zealand government "has not yet seen any intelligence upon which such an assessment might be based", Ardern's office said in response to alleged links between Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka and the March 15 shooting in Christchurch, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sri Lanka Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene told Parliament on Tuesday that initial investigations had revealed that Sunday's carnage by a local Muslim group was in retaliation to the killing of 50 mosques in Christchurch in New Zealand.

He said the "National Tawheed Jamath" was behind the attacks and further investigations were on.

A spokesperson for Ardern said: "We have seen reports of the statement from the Sri Lankan Minister ... alleging a link between the the Easter Sunday terrorist attack and the March 15 attack in Christchurch.

"We understand the Sri Lankan investigation into the attack is in its early stages. New Zealand has not yet seen any intelligence upon which such an assessment might be based.

"New Zealanders oppose terrorism and extreme violence in all its forms. In the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks, it was the condemnation of the perpetrators of violence and a message of peace that unified us all," said the spokesperson. IANS