Sri Lanka's Easter Bombing Investigation Takes New Turn Amidst Allegations Against Retired Major General Suresh Salle

Kathmandu. The investigation into the 2019 Easter bomb blasts, considered the deadliest in Sri Lanka's history, has taken a new turn after seven years. Serious questions have arisen about the official account of the incident after the government accused retired Major General Suresh Salle, who once led the country's state intelligence service, of being a planner of the attack.

In the suicide bombings targeting churches and five-star hotels on April 21, 2019, 279 people were killed and more than 500 were injured. Among the dead were 45 foreign nationals. They included citizens from Australia, the United Kingdom, China, Denmark, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. At that time, the government's conclusion was made public that seven Sunni Muslim suicide attackers carried out the attack inspired by the Islamic State (IS).

However, the latest investigation has steered the incident in a new direction. Public Security Minister Anandu Wijepala accused Salle in parliament last June of strategically planning the attack in collusion with Islamic extremists. According to him, Salle had met with some Muslim individuals three weeks before the attack to gather information about potential targets. The government investigation has also indicated a link between the bombers and at least two state intelligence agencies.

Although Salle was arrested in February under anti-terrorism laws, no formal charges have been filed against him. He has denied all allegations against him. His next court hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The latest investigation into the incident suggests that it may not have been merely an intelligence failure but possibly a planned covert operation. According to investigators, the possibility that the attack was intended to benefit then-presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the ensuing political instability has also been presented in court.

Investigative material broadcast by British television channel Channel 4 in 2023 cited an internal whistleblower alleging that the attack was allowed to happen to help Gotabaya Rajapaksa win the presidential election based on his commitment to control Islamist extremism.

Critics have claimed that the then Rajapaksa administration used extremist networks to justify the need for a security state. Although the then administration admitted to having contact with some jihadi groups for intelligence purposes during the civil war, it maintained that the Easter bomb blasts went beyond their control.

In Sri Lanka, approximately 70 percent of the population is Buddhist, 12 percent Hindu, 10 percent Sunni Muslim, and 7 percent Christian. Salle, a member of the Muslim community, is married to a Buddhist, and his Catholic mother has appealed to the Pope for his release.

During his service, Salle worked in Sri Lankan missions in France and Malaysia. He studied at India's National Defence College, Madras University, and the UK's Bradford University.

He addressed the US Department of Defense Pentagon on the subject of suicide terrorism in 2003 and in 2023, he presented his views at the United Nations headquarters on the role of social media and digital platforms in spreading radicalism and terrorism.

After Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president, Salle was appointed head of the state intelligence service. He was the first military officer to reach that position. In 2020, under his leadership, human rights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested on charges of being a planner of the Easter bomb blasts. However, he was released after 22 months due to lack of evidence.

Salle has claimed that his detention was inhumane and degrading. Reminding that Hizbullah also endured harsh detention, Salle stated that he too should be granted the rights to fair treatment, legal counsel, and family visits.

After President Anura Kumar Dissanayake came to power in 2024, the stalled investigations were resumed. Since then, the investigation into Salle has been intensified. He is currently still in custody.