Sri Lanka detains former intelligence chief over Easter bombings

Sri Lanka’s President has cleared investigators to detain the country’s erstwhile quality main for up to 3 months of questioning implicit his alleged relation successful the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 279 people, constabulary said connected Saturday (February 28, 2026) .

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake signed an bid nether the pugnacious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to clasp retired Army Major General Suresh Sallay for 90 days for questioning by detectives.

Criminal investigators arrested Mr. Sallay connected Wednesday (February 25), making him the astir high-profile authoritative netted successful the long-running probe into the bombings, which injured astir 500 people.

Forty-five foreigners were among those killed.

Nine termination bombers carried retired the coordinated attacks connected April 21, 2019, targeting 2 Roman Catholic churches, an evangelical Protestant religion and 3 luxury hotels.

“The President signed the DO (detention order) past nighttime to support Sallay successful custody for 90 days aft the archetypal three-day play helium was held,” a constabulary spokesperson said.

The PTA allows constabulary to clasp suspects for agelong periods without complaint oregon judicial review. Suspects held nether the PTA cannot beryllium released connected bail by the courts.

Opposition parties person condemned Mr. Sallay’s arrest, calling it a governmental witch-hunt.

But Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church, which has led a run demanding justness for the victims, welcomed the apprehension and said constabulary indispensable beryllium allowed to proceed their probe without governmental interference.

The religion had earlier accused erstwhile President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of sabotaging constabulary investigations into the bombings aft coming to powerfulness connected the backmost of them.

Two days aft the attacks, Mr. Rajapaksa, a retired service officer, declared his candidacy and went connected to triumph the November predetermination successful a landslide aft promising to stamp retired Islamist extremism.