This past Easter will go down infamously, as Muslim terrorist sects carried out lethal attacks on a church in Sri Lanka. As authorities and officials frantically attempt to point fingers at the group who committed this atrocity, many of them overlook the theory that multiple terrorist groups were involved in the planning and execution of the attacks. This recent event brings into question the interactions between separate terrorist groups, and how it affects the world.
One thing many people mistake is that every single terrorist group has different goals and ambitions. While this is true for the most part, many Muslim terrorist organizations hold similar (but not identical) values and beliefs. When these values and beliefs are shared between different groups, it inclines them to act more coordinated and interdependently with one another. This is what most likely happened over Easter. The National Throwheed Jamath (NTJ), a smaller group, was the first suspect in the church bombings. However, considering their size and available resources, it’s hard to believe that they acted on their own. This is where the more common story comes in, that ISIS was responsible for the attacks. ISIS would have the resources necessary for this, but it doesn’t seem like they would go to Sri Lanka and directly attempt to attack the church there. The most feasible theory is that ISIS supplied the NTJ with bombs and weapons needed to attack the church, while members of the NJT did all the leg work so to speak. Whether this is actually the case is in question, but if it the real story, then it does call into question whether they have worked together in the past, and if they will continue to do so in the future.
This big misconception is particularly prevalent in America. Most people will recognize ISIS or Al-Qaeda, but not consider that there are several other groups out there that are smaller in size but can be just as deadly. And when they work together, it results in events like these, caused by a group that almost no one knew beforehand.