Danish fashion billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen lost three of his four children in the horrifying terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka days ago.
By: David O’Keefe
Povlsen, 46, and his family were vacationing in Sri Lanka when the terrorists attacked. The suicide ombers killed more than 290.
“I can confirm that three children have been killed. We have no further comment and we ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this time,” Jesper Stubkier, communications manager for Holch Povlsen’s wholesale clothing business, Bestseller, told the Press Association.
Povlsen, reportedly the wealthiest man in Denmark, and his wife own an estimated 200,000 acres of the Highlands and plan to rewild the landscape to preserve it for future generations,” according to the Guardian.
Officials in the Sri Lankan government said the coordinated attacks on churches and hotels was perpetrated by the National Thowfeek Jamaath, a Muslim militant group.
In remarks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the press, “What was supposed to be a joyful Easter Sunday was marred by a horrific wave of Islamic radical terror bloodshed. It’s heartbreaking that a country which has strived so hard for peace in recent years has been targeted by these terrorists. We mourn the loved ones of the victims, some of whom, we can confirm, were indeed U.S. citizens. This is America’s fight too. I spoke with the prime minister of Sri Lanka this morning. And our embassy and other parts of the U.S.”
Pompeo added the the U.S. stands “with the millions of Sri Lankans who support the freedom of their fellow citizens to worship as they please. We take confidence in knowing that not even atrocities like this one will deter them from respecting religious freedom. Today our nation grieves with the people of Sri Lanka, and we stand committed, resolved to confront terrorism together.”
President Donald Trump called Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and expressed condolences over the attacks. Trump reportedly told the premier that he “pledged United States support to Sri Lanka in bringing the perpetrators to justice, and the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the fight against global terrorism.”
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe “expressed appreciation for the president’s concern and updated him on the progress of the investigation,” according to the White House.
The Sri Lankan government “said it received warnings from security officials in India and the U.S. on April 4 that they had picked up indications that attacks were being planned in Sri Lanka. While those warnings didn’t include the name of a group, Sri Lankan security officials linked them to National Thowheeth Jamath in a circular it distributed to police authorities on April 9,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
