Sri Lankan Court Extends Detention of Former Intelligence Chief in 2019 Easter Bombings Probe

A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered the continued detention of former State Intelligence Service chief Suresh Sallay in connection with the investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings , one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country’s history.

Sallay, a retired Major General, was arrested on February 25 by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and is being questioned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act as investigators attempt to uncover the full network behind the coordinated suicide attacks. He has been named the third suspect in the case , and authorities suspect possible conspiracy and aiding or abetting the bombings , although he has denied wrongdoing.

The coordinated blasts on April 21, 2019, were carried out by nine suicide bombers linked to the Islamist extremist group National Thowheeth Jama’ath , which had connections to Islamic State . The attackers targeted three Catholic churches and several luxury hotels across Sri Lanka, killing around 279 people, including dozens of foreign nationals , and injuring more than 500.

The bombings dealt a severe blow to Sri Lanka’s tourism sector and triggered multiple investigations into possible security lapses and intelligence failures , particularly after it emerged that Indian intelligence agencies had issued advance warnings about potential attacks on churches.

Sallay later became head of the State Intelligence Service after Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office in late 2019. Allegations raised in media investigations and whistleblower claims have suggested he may have had links to the attackers or allowed the attacks to proceed, claims he has repeatedly rejected.

The investigation gained renewed momentum after Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in 2024, pledging to pursue accountability and reopen the probe amid allegations that earlier investigations were influenced by political pressure.

Meanwhile, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has repeatedly urged authorities to ensure a thorough and impartial inquiry into all those responsible for the attacks, regardless of their status.