Colombo, April 22 With a US Congressional Research Service report recently identifying Pakistan as a persistent base for several long-active extremist groups, Sri Lanka must recognise that the "factory of terror" operating in its neighbourhood remains a big threat. The 2019 Easter attacks in Sri Lanka were aimed to affect island nation's growing tourism industry and communal harmony while the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam was designed to derail regional stability, a report in Sri Lanka-based Zira Daily mentioned on Wednesday.
The attack in Pahalgam took place when Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing a surge in tourist arrivals and successful local democratic participation. It was carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Among those killed were 25 tourists and one local pony ride operator who tried to save the tourists.
"Much like the 2019 Easter attacks in Sri Lanka, which sought to cripple our burgeoning tourism industry and communal harmony, the Pahalgam massacre was designed to derail regional stability. It occurred just as Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing record-breaking tourist footfall and successful local democratic participation. For the establishment across the border, a prosperous Kashmir is a threat to its narrative of chaos. The evidence of direct state sponsorship is, as claimed, compelling," Hansa Rathnayaka wrote mentioned in Zira Daily.
Last July, the Indian security forces neutralised three Pakistani terrorists allegedly involved in Pahalgam terror attack. The terrorists identified as Habib Tahir and Bilal Afzal were from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Both were trained operatives reportedly sent to India to execute a plan of “bleeding by a thousand cuts.”
"Sri Lankans must recognise that the 'factory of terror' operating in our neighbourhood is a collective threat. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2026, Pakistan ranks among the most terror-affected nations in the world. A US Congressional Research Service report from March 2026 identifies the country as a persistent base for numerous long-active extremist groups," the report stated.
The footprints of terror groups like LeT continue to expand as a Pakistani national, Asif Merchant, was reportedly found guilty of a murder-for-hire plot targetting high-level US lawmakers in March. In a separate case, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan has reportedly pleaded guilty to planning ISIS-inspired attack in the West. Furthermore, terrorist groups have been using encrypted digital wallets and cryptocurrencies to avoid international monitoring.
"Meanwhile, groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad have reportedly launched a dedicated women’s wing, 'Jamaat-ul-Mominat,' and LeT has established a 'Water Wing' for tactical maritime training — a development that should particularly concern an island nation like ours. The Pahalgam massacre and our own Easter Sunday tragedy can be seen as two branches of the same poisonous tree. As we honour the 26 lives lost one year ago, we must stand united in demanding accountability. Regional prosperity and the safety of our citizens cannot coexist with a neighbor that, in this view, treats terrorism as an instrument of state policy," the report in Zira Daily stated.
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