Sri Lanka minister links former intelligence chief to 2019 Easter bombings investigation

Sri Lanka's public security minister has said a former intelligence chief planned the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings with "full awareness", in the latest official allegation in the long-running investigation. The statement was made in parliament and directly named retired Major General Suresh Sallay. The bombings killed 269 people and injured more than 500 others.

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Minister Ananda Wijepala said current investigations had revealed that Sallay had planned the attack with full awareness. He also said investigators believe Sallay met alleged orchestrators of the bombings three weeks before the attacks to obtain information about target locations. Police arrested Sallay on 25 February in connection with the case, and he was detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on suspicion of conspiracy and of aiding and abetting the perpetrators.

The arrest and the new parliamentary statement mark a significant development in a case that has remained politically and legally sensitive in Sri Lanka for years. Sallay was appointed head of the State Intelligence Service in late 2018 by then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Before his arrest, he had repeatedly denied any involvement in, or connection to, the Easter Sunday bombings.

Last week, he was admitted to the National Hospital after launching a hunger strike to protest what he said was degrading treatment while in detention. The 2019 attacks were among the deadliest in Sri Lanka's recent history and triggered prolonged scrutiny of the country's security and intelligence structures. The bombings struck three churches and three luxury hotels on 21 April 2019, during Easter Sunday services, in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa.

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Investigators later identified all eight suicide bombers as Sri Lankan nationals, and the attacks were linked to Islamic State. The latest allegation also revives attention on earlier claims surrounding the case. A 2023 documentary renewed scrutiny of allegations involving several Sri Lankan government officials, including Sallay, and said he was among the key figures allegedly involved in orchestrating the attacks.

Those claims have now been followed by the first direct official statement tying him to the planning of the bombings, although the full evidential basis has not been made public. What remains unclear is what charges, if any, will follow the arrest and how the investigation will proceed through the courts. It is also not yet clear whether the new parliamentary statement will lead to further arrests or additional disclosures about the alleged network behind the attacks.

The case is likely to remain closely watched because of its implications for accountability, intelligence oversight and Sri Lanka's handling of one of its most serious security failures.

#SriLanka #Easterbombings #SureshSallay #AnandaWijepala #terrorisminvestigation

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