Sri Lanka says spy chief ‘directed’ Easter bombings

Sri Lanka's former intelligence chief, Major-General Suresh Sallay, directed the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, according to a statement made in Parliament by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala. This is the first time an official has directly implicated Sallay, who was arrested in February on charges of aiding and abetting the attacks, in masterminding the coordinated assaults that claimed 279 lives.

Wijepala revealed that Sallay allegedly identified a Catholic church to be targeted and met with Islamic extremists weeks before the attack to gather details about the location and congregation. The minister stated that investigations indicate Sallay conspired with and strategically directed extremists to carry out the bombings. Sallay, through his lawyer, has denied all accusations of involvement. He was reportedly hospitalized on June 7 after initiating a hunger strike while detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

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Investigations have revealed that Retired Major-General Tuan Suresh Sallay conspired with and strategically directed Islamic extremists until they carried out the attacks.

The revelations come as opposition activists continue to protest in the capital, demanding Sallay's release. Following Sallay's interrogation, investigators have obtained court orders preventing former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from leaving the island. Sallay was appointed head of the State Intelligence Service in 2019, shortly after Rajapaksa became president, and had previously led the military intelligence unit.

British broadcaster Channel 4 reported in 2023 that Sallay had links to the Islamists responsible for the suicide bombings and had met with them beforehand. A whistleblower alleged that Sallay permitted the attack to proceed to influence that year's presidential election in favor of Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa declared his candidacy two days after the bombings and subsequently won the election, campaigning on a platform of combating Islamist extremism. While the Criminal Investigation Department has not formally named Rajapaksa as a suspect, official sources suggest he is likely to be questioned soon.

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Just three weeks prior to the attack, Sallay met Muslim men to obtain details of the location and the congregation.