The Director of SITE Intelligence Group, Rita Katz, on April 17 revealed that the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the arson attack Mahibadhoo in Alifu Dhaalu Atoll through its Al Naba weekly newsletter, reports IBT on April 17.Rita Katz's tweeted, ISIS stated that the boats belonged to the "Apostate Maldivian Government and its loyalists" and were destroyed using "incendiary bombs."
Earlier, Maldives Police Service (MPS) announced on April 15 that the harbour fire incident at Mahibadhoo in Alifu Dhaalu Atoll was a deliberate act of arson, reports Edition. Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohamed Hameed stated that the incident which took place at 0522 hrs on Wednesday (April 15) morning during the early hours was “clearly a deliberate act". Four speedboats, a sea ambulance, and two dinghy's docked adjacent to each other at the harbour went up in flames in the fire. Two of the burnt speedboats belonged to a private company, while one was a police launch and the other owned by the Alifu Dhaalu Atoll council. CP Hameed also said that the Police were looking into leads that the arson attack was carried out as an act of retaliation against authorities for recent investigations into drug trafficking and religious extremism.