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Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister told parliament connected Wednesday (June 10, 2026) the nation’s ex-intelligence main directed the 2019 Easter Sunday attack, successful the archetypal authoritative connection linking him straight to the bombings that killed 279 people.
Minister Ananda Wijepala said Major General Suresh Sallay, who was arrested successful February connected accusations of “aiding and abetting” the attack, had identified a Catholic religion to beryllium bombed.
Sri Lanka’s worst azygous panic onslaught against civilians progressive bombings against 3 upmarket hotels successful the capital, 2 Roman Catholic churches and an evangelical Protestant religion extracurricular Colombo.
“Investigations person revealed that Retired Major General Tuan Suresh Sallay conspired with and strategically directed Islamic extremists until they carried retired the attacks,” Mr. Wijepala said.
“Just 3 weeks anterior to the attack, Sallay met Muslim men to get details of the determination and the congregation,” the Minister added.
Mr. Sallay, done his lawyer, has denied immoderate involvement.
Mr. Wijepala said Mr. Sallay was admitted to infirmary Sunday aft launching a hunger onslaught portion being detained nether the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Opposition activists person been demonstrating successful Colombo demanding his merchandise from custody.
Following Mr. Sallay’s interrogation, investigators person secured tribunal orders preventing erstwhile President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from leaving the island.
Mr. Sallay was appointed caput of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), the country’s main spy agency, successful 2019, soon aft Rajapaksa became president.
He besides headed the subject quality portion anterior to taking implicit the SIS.
British broadcaster Channel 4 reported successful 2023 that Sallay was linked to the Islamists who carried retired the termination bombings and had met them anterior to the attack.
A whistleblower told the web that helium had permitted the onslaught to proceed with the volition of influencing that year’s statesmanlike predetermination successful favour of Rajapaksa.
Two days aft the bombings, Mr. Rajapaksa declared his candidacy and went connected to triumph the November ballot successful a landslide aft promising to stamp retired Islamist extremism.
The Criminal Investigation Department has stopped abbreviated of naming Mr. Rajapaksa arsenic a suspect, but authoritative sources said helium was apt to beryllium questioned shortly.
