Sri Lanka's government has made its most serious allegation yet regarding the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, directly accusing former intelligence chief Tuan Suresh Sallay of playing a key role in planning and directing the devastating attacks that killed 279 people and injured hundreds more. The accusation marks a major turning point in an investigation that has remained politically sensitive and controversial for more than six years, with successive governments facing pressure from victims' families, religious groups and international observers to uncover the full truth behind the attacks.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said investigators had uncovered evidence suggesting that retired Major General Sallay maintained links with Islamist extremists involved in the bombings and allegedly guided them until the attacks were carried out. According to the minister, the former intelligence chief was not merely aware of the activities of the attackers but was actively involved in facilitating and directing aspects of the operation. Wijepala further claimed that Sallay had personally gathered information about one of the churches that was later targeted and had met individuals connected to the plot just weeks before the coordinated bombings took place.
The Easter Sunday attacks occurred on April 21, 2019, when suicide bombers struck three churches and three luxury hotels across Sri Lanka. The targets included Catholic churches packed with worshippers attending Easter services and high-end hotels frequented by tourists. The coordinated explosions caused widespread devastation, killing 279 people, including Sri Lankan citizens and foreign nationals, while leaving hundreds more injured. The attacks remain the deadliest act of terrorism in Sri Lanka since the end of the country's long civil war and continue to cast a shadow over the nation's political and security landscape.
Sallay, who was arrested earlier this year in February, has strongly denied all allegations linking him to the bombings. According to government officials, he is currently being detained under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act while investigations continue. Authorities also disclosed that he was recently admitted to hospital after reportedly beginning a hunger strike in custody. His detention has generated significant controversy, with opposition parties and some civil society groups questioning the government's case against him and demanding greater transparency regarding the evidence being used to justify his continued detention.
The investigation has also placed renewed attention on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose political rise was closely connected to the security concerns that followed the Easter bombings. Officials confirmed that court orders have been obtained preventing Rajapaksa from leaving the country while inquiries remain ongoing. Although investigators have not formally named him as a suspect, reports indicate that authorities may seek to question him about matters related to the attacks and the events that followed.
Questions surrounding the Easter Sunday bombings have persisted for years, fuelled by allegations that intelligence warnings were ignored and that key information was withheld from the public. The controversy intensified in 2023 when Channel 4 aired a documentary featuring a whistleblower who alleged that Sallay had prior contact with individuals involved in the attacks and knowingly allowed the operation to proceed. The whistleblower further claimed that the bombings were intended to create a climate of fear and instability that could influence the outcome of the 2019 presidential election.
Those allegations gained additional attention because only two days after the attacks, Rajapaksa announced his presidential candidacy, positioning himself as a strong leader capable of restoring national security and combating Islamist extremism. The security concerns generated by the bombings became a dominant issue during the election campaign, and Rajapaksa ultimately secured a decisive victory.
The latest accusations by the Sri Lankan government represent the strongest official claims made so far regarding possible involvement by senior intelligence officials in the attacks. If investigators are able to substantiate the allegations in court, the case could become one of the most consequential political and security scandals in Sri Lanka's modern history. It could also lead to wider investigations into the actions of intelligence agencies, military officials and political leaders who held positions of authority before and after the bombings, potentially reshaping public understanding of one of the country's darkest and most traumatic episodes.
