This Heartbreaking Photo Was Not Taken In The Aftermath Of Easter Sunday Bombings In Sri Lanka

An old photo of a man crying over the body of an infant is being shared on social media with a false claim that the child is the youngest victim of the recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka.

The photo is being shared with the caption, "The youngest victim of Sri Lanka blasts" and "Youngest martyr of Sri Lanka blasts"

FACT-CHECK

BOOM did a reverse image search on Google and found that the photo has been uploaded on many online platforms as far back as May 2018. Most of these sites are Sinhalese websites.

Click here for the post.

The same photos were uploaded on two Sinhalese YouTube channels - ES Productions and 'Nodutu Lowa wata' with a voice over about "pain of a father."

Both uploads are from May 2018 and predate the attacks in Sri Lank which took place on April 21, 2019. BOOM was not able to independently verify the identity of the girl or the cause of her death.

Serial bombings carried out at churches and hotels on Easter Sunday by Islamic militants killed hundreds in the worst terrorist attack the island nation has seen. Sri Lanka said Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath carried out the attacks. Earlier this week terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.