Sri Lanka hints at local militant group behind blasts: All you need to know

The Sri Lankan government believes a local group called the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), locally translated as 'National party of Oneness of God,' translated as 'Oneness of God Nationalist Party' was behind the deadly suicide bomb attacks that killed nearly 300 people, government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said Monday.
Senaratne, who is also a cabinet minister, added that the government was investigating whether the group had "international support".
"We don't see that only a small organisation in this country can do all that," he said.
"We are now investigating the international support for them, and their other links, how they produced the suicide bombers here, and how they produced bombs like this."
Documents seen by AFP show Sri Lanka's police chief issued a warning on April 11, saying that a "foreign intelligence agency" had reported NTJ was planning attacks on churches and the Indian high commission.
Not much is known about the NTJ, a group that his been linked to the vandalising of Buddhist statues.
A police source told AFP that all 24 people in custody in connection with the attacks belong to an "extremist" group, but did not specify further.