Sri Lanka arrests ex-spy chief over 2019 Easter bombings
The Straits Times
He allegedly permitted the attack to happen to sway the elections which took place two days later. Read more at straitstimes.com.
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s criminal investigators arrested the country’s former intelligence chief on Feb 25 in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners.
Police said retired major-general Suresh Sallay was taken into custody at dawn in a suburb of the capital, Colombo, in the most high-profile arrest in the long-running investigation.
“He was arrested for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attacks,” an investigating officer told AFP.
“He has been in touch with people involved in the attacks, even recently.”
The coordinated bombings targeted three upmarket hotels in the capital, two Roman Catholic churches, and an evangelical Protestant church outside Colombo.
The attacks were blamed on a home-grown extremist group.
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