Sri Lanka: Cabinet Panel to submit report on 2019 Easter bombings to President

The Cabinet Panel which studied the recommendations of the Presidential Commission into the Easter attacks will be submitting its reports to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday, April 5. While speaking to the media, Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that the report will be released to the public after it is handed over to the President. According to the reports by ANI, the committee is chaired by Minister Chamal Rajapaksa and comprises Minister Udaya Gammanpila, Prasanna Ranatunga, Johnston Fernando, and Rohitha Abeygunawardena.

Shocking revelation

Earlier, a report from Sri Lanka’s Parliament Select Committee (PSC) made a shocking revelation that Indian High Commission and a hotel frequented by Indians were one of the targets of the Easter bombing that killed more than 250 people including 40 foreigners. The reports said, “intelligence information received indicated that the Indian High Commission was to be one of the potential targets”. The report has also blamed the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena for undermining the national security and failing to prevent the Easter attack, as the intelligence agencies had prior information on a possible terror attack.

Excerpts from the reports read, “Testimony received by the PSC demonstrates that intelligence teams were aware of the potential threats by Zahran, his associates and the NTJ (National Thowheed Jamaat) prior to the Easter bombings. Testimony also indicates several intelligence agencies being aware of increasing extremism in Sri Lanka and the role of Zahran and his associates in this regard”. The report also slammed President Maithripala Sirisena for failing on "numerous occasions to give leadership" and "actively undermining government and systems having ad hoc NSC meetings and leaving out key individuals from meetings". 

2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings

On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, suicide terrorist bombings that took place in three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka killed around 277 people (including 8 suicide bombers) and wounded more than 400 people as per the information in the report. At least 40 foreign nationals and at least 45 children were reported to be among the dead. Investigators identified Zahran Hashim, the founder of the National Thowheed Jamaath, as the mastermind behind the execution of these coordinated attacks. Subsequent to the attacks, incidents of ethnic violence and tension targeting the Muslim community occurred in several parts of the country. Ahead of the Easter bombings, An explosion took place in Palamunai, Kaththankudy, on the night of April 16, where a two-wheeler (actually a Scooty) was destroyed. Subsequent investigations revealed that this was a dry run to test timers and detonators.

(Image Credits: PTI)