Sri Lanka Arrests Former Spy Chief Suresh Sallay Over 2019 Easter Bombings
Sri Lankan authorities have arrested former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed nearly 270 people in one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country’s history.
Police said Sallay, a retired army major general, was detained from a suburb of Colombo on Wednesday over allegations of aiding and abetting the coordinated attacks on churches and luxury hotels on 21 April 2019.
The six near-simultaneous bombings shocked Sri Lanka and revived painful memories of decades of conflict during the country’s long civil war. Two days after the attacks, Islamic State claimed responsibility, releasing a video showing eight men pledging allegiance to its then leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The group was not previously known to have an operational presence in Sri Lanka.
At a media briefing, senior police officials said Sallay’s arrest followed evidence uncovered during renewed investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks. Police spokesman Fredrick Wootler said the Criminal Investigation Department is examining possible “links or lapses” connected to Sallay.
At the time of the bombings, Sallay was serving as an army brigadier in a diplomatic role in Malaysia. He was later appointed head of the State Intelligence Service in late 2019 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president.
His arrest comes just ahead of the seventh anniversary of the attacks, which targeted sites including churches and major hotels, leaving hundreds dead and wounded, including foreign nationals.
In the years since the bombings, allegations have persisted that the attackers had links to elements within Sri Lanka’s intelligence community. In 2023, Channel 4 aired a report alleging Sallay had connections to individuals linked to the bombings, claims that have been strongly denied by Sri Lankan authorities and the defence ministry.
The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly rejected accusations of state involvement, while international bodies, including the United Nations, have urged greater transparency and the public release of findings from previous investigations into the attacks.
Authorities say investigations into Sallay’s alleged role are ongoing, as the country continues to seek accountability and justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday tragedy.
