Former Sri Lankan intelligence chief linked to 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed 279 people
A former Sri Lankan intelligence chief has been linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed 279 people, seven years ago. Major General Tuan Suresh Sallay “directed” the events that led to the coordinated bombings, public security minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Wednesday.
“Investigations have revealed that retired major general Tuan Suresh Sallay conspired with and strategically directed Islamic extremists until they carried out the attacks,” the minister said, as per AFP. It was the first time such an allegation was made in parliament.
The minister added that Sallay had identified a Catholic church that was later bombed. Weeks before the blasts, he said, Sallay met people linked to the plot and gathered information about locations and congregations.
“Just three weeks prior to the attack, Sallay met Muslim men to obtain details of the location and the congregation,” he added.
The 2019 Easter Sunday attacks
On April 21, 2019, suicide bombers attacked three churches where worshippers were gathered for Easter services. They also targeted several hotels in Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka.
The attacks killed nearly 280 people, including people attending Mass, and injured hundreds more. They remain the deadliest act of violence in the country since the end of the civil war.
In the years since, the case has moved through arrests, reports, and competing versions of what happened. Court proceedings linked to the attacks are ongoing. The case involves 25 accused and more than 23,000 charges. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court is hearing the case, Vatican News reported.
Sallay arrested for ‘aiding and abetting’
Sallay was arrested in February on charges of “aiding and abetting” the attacks. He has denied the allegations through his lawyer, as per AFP.
This week, the minister said Sallay was taken to the hospital after starting a hunger strike in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Outside the detention system, protests have grown in Colombo, with calls for his release.
Court orders now restrict former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from leaving the country. He has not been named a suspect, but officials say questioning remains possible.
Sallay’s role in the security establishment is also under scrutiny. He took charge of the State Intelligence Service in 2019, soon after Rajapaksa became president. Before that, he led military intelligence.
Then came the external claims. In 2023, Channel 4 reported allegations linking Sallay to individuals involved in the attacks, including claims that the plot may have been allowed to unfold for political impact ahead of that year’s election.
Rajapaksa became president shortly after the bombings and went on to win that election.
Church leader flags gaps in investigation
Father Rohan Silva, who heads the Centre for Society and Religion, has said that the investigation into the attacks is still incomplete, even though some steps forward have been taken. Speaking to Vatican News, he said key demands from victims and church groups have not been met, especially the call to appoint an independent special prosecutor.
“We are still waiting,” said Silva. He was referring to a proposal that has been discussed for years but not implemented. “It has been promised, but we have not yet seen it realised. We feel it is very important, and we must continue to pressurise the government.”
He said the need for an independent process has been raised repeatedly in earlier discussions as well. Silva also described the arrest of Sallay earlier this year as an important development in the investigation.