17 Apr 2020ISIS fanatics claim to have carried out a terror attack in Brit holiday paradise Maldives by using incendiary bombs to blow up boats Site Intelligence Group reports the extremists have taken responsibility for explosions which tore apart five boats at Mahibadhoo harbour on Wednesday A sea ambulance, four speedboats, and two dinghies docked next to each other were destroyed in the blaze, reported The Edition The stunning Maldives are a favourite destination for Brits But the UK Foreign Office has been warning of a heightened risk from extremists in the Islamic nation in the last few months ISIS's propaganda wing was quick to release news of the attack in its al-Naba publication It claimed fighters had destroyed boats belonged to the "Apostate Maldivian Government and its loyalists" and they were hit with "incendiary bombs." The terror publication carried photographs of the burning wreckage of the global terrorist monitoring group Site Intel said on Twitter: “ISIS claims its first ever attack in the Maldives." Islamic State fighters carried out the arson attack that destroyed five boats Rita said ISIS's "claim doesn't come as a surprise ISIS supporters carried out a stabbing attack on foreigners in Feb. claiming through an ISIS-style video & it was only a matter of time before these supporters connected with ISIS directly “Most remarkable is the speed of the claim With the attack having happened late Wednesday the line of communication is clearly open.” Maldives Police Service confirmed at a press conference that the harbour explosion in Alifu Dhaalu Atoll was arson Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohamed Hameed said the attack took place at 5.22am on Wednesday He said that two of the burnt speedboats belonged to a private company and another was owned by the Alifu Dhaalu Atoll council CP Hameed said officers were investigating claims that the attack was carried out by ISIS fanatics They're also probing whether it was done to retaliate against authorities for recent investigations into drug trafficking and religious extremism when a police launch was set alight at the harbour of Gan in Laamu Atoll as payback for a police sting on drug gang members The commissioner said other recent crimes committed against Maldives' bosses were carried out by extremists But he warned ISIS fanatics against launching such attacks during the current coronavirus pandemic lockdown The UK Foreign Office has updated travel advice for British tourists after two residents from China and one tourist from Australia were stabbed on an island off the coast of Male the Maldives police confirmed the arrest of seven people in relation to knife attacks which injured three foreign nationals; two resident employees and one tourist in Hulhumale “The attack was claimed by an extremist group A Maldivian radical group affiliated with ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in an unverified video posted online at the time Terror attacks are “likely” in the country The Maldives is known to have contributed the largest number of fighters per capita to the ISIS cause in Syria Last year, a 35-year-old man identified as a leader for ISIS in the Maldives by the U.S. authorities was arrested for allegedly leading ISIS recruitment in the mainly Sunni Muslim nation. The Maldives parliament has given sweeping investigative powers to counter-terrorism agencies, and authorities have stepped up operations against hardline Islamist groups. It claimed responsibility for deadly bombings in Sri Lanka in April last year The group also recently confirmed a new hardline leader Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi AKA "The Professor" and "The Destroyer" following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US raid last October Chinese and Australian embassy officials were not immediately available to comment Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ the threat climate change poses is already as clear as the water off the country’s famous beaches ​​Access to sufficient clean water in Maldives is already difficult due in part to the country's isolated location in the middle of the Indian Ocean put further pressure on already scarce freshwater resources At less than two metres above sea level on average Maldives is especially susceptible to flooding means that seawater intrusion into the country's limited groundwater is a constant threat UNOPS has been working to improve the resilience of Maldives' island communities by ensuring reliable and safe water supply throughout the country "In line with UNOPS global commitment to COP21 recommendations we will continue to support the Government of Maldives in mitigating the effects of climate change and increasing the resilience of the Maldivian people," affirmed Francoise Jacob UNOPS Director and Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives UNOPS recently completed construction and installation of integrated water supply networks for three islands: Ihavandhoo Each network is composed of solar-powered water supply systems that combine rainwater collection and desalinized seawater to provide purified water the network can provide a year-round supply of water to the entire population of the three islands "We are very happy we can access safe and reliable water for drinking cooking and other uses from our homes," said Aminath Faruhaana UNOPS is also assisting islands in the Laamu Atoll with water resources and integrated waste management through the Low Emission Climate Resilient Development (LECReD) Programme the project includes repairing community rainwater harvesting systems These systems will help the island communities store enough water for the dry periods and help reduce the amount of money the government spends on emergency water deliveries to these outer islands ​Waste is also a growing issue in the Maldives and UNOPS is working towards supporting the country in addressing some of the challenges caused by pollution The three-year project – a joint initiative with FAO UN WOMEN and WHO – started in November 2013 Although there are still several months left before the project ends some of the atoll's islands have already started to reap the benefits of the system "My household tank is already empty this year so I've had to go to my neighbour's house to use theirs," explained Mariyam Latheefa a member of the Women's Development Committee on Kunahandhoo Island "I'm very happy the rainwater harvesting community system is now available." "The coordination of this project through LECReD Programme and UNOPS has brought people together over the issue of water security," said Ibrahim Naeem Island Council President for Mundoo Island "The community here is now confident they can get through the dry periods." UNOPS has been working on an integrated water supply system to provide safe water to Hinnavaru's entire population as part of a 2.5-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) In addition to the rainwater harvesting tanks a desalination plant and a solar-powered water treatment facility the completed network will also include a regional water quality testing laboratory and a groundwater recharge component is also helping to build the capacity of the water utility service provider in Hinnavaru Island to operate and maintain the system "Hinnavaru Island has experienced water shortages during the dry period every year for the past 10 years so this USAID supported IWRM project is of the utmost importance to the community," said Adam Yoosuf "We've been waiting for this system for a long time – the community is extremely happy that they are going to have safe and reliable access to water." UNOPS is providing project management services for the development of an integrated water supply system The system will use harvested rainwater and water desalination to meet the water needs of the island's population Part of a larger initiative focused on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Maldivian Government are financing the project "With the new capacity of their community water reserves the island is now much more prepared to face a disaster and water shortages will be significantly reduced here," explained Mariyam Shizna a Project Officer with Maldives' National Disaster Management Authority UNOPS is currently delivering more than $8 million in projects in Maldives. Visit our UNOPS in Asia page to find out more about the work we're doing in Maldives and the rest of Asia. ​ Marmorvej 51, PO Box 2695, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark