Former Intel Chief Sallay Directed Easter Sunday Attacks, Claims Sri Lankan Minister

A Sri Lankan cabinet minister has made a explosive claim that former State Intelligence Service director Sisira Mendis, known as "Sallay," played a direct role in orchestrating the devastating Easter Sunday bombings of 2019, which claimed the lives of nearly 270 people and left hundreds more injured.

Ministerial Accusation Shakes Political Landscape

The allegation, levelled by a sitting government minister, has sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka's political establishment and reignited public demand for full accountability over one of the darkest chapters in the island nation's modern history. The minister stated plainly that Sallay "directed" the coordinated suicide attacks, which targeted three luxury hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.

The bombings, carried out by local Islamist extremists linked to the National Thowheed Jamath, exposed catastrophic failures within Sri Lanka's security and intelligence apparatus. Prior warnings received by senior officials, including those within the State Intelligence Service, had gone unheeded in the lead-up to the attacks.

Long-Standing Questions Over Intelligence Failures

Since the attacks, successive investigations and parliamentary inquiries have pointed to serious lapses at the highest levels of the country's intelligence community. Critics have long argued that certain individuals in positions of authority not only failed to act on credible warnings but may have had deeper involvement in allowing the tragedy to unfold.

Sallay, who served as director of the State Intelligence Service at the time, has previously faced scrutiny over the handling of intelligence reports in the weeks before the bombings. The latest ministerial statement, however, represents the most direct and politically charged accusation yet made against him by a sitting official.

Calls for Justice Renewed

Survivors' groups and families of victims have repeatedly called for a transparent and independent investigation that holds all responsible parties accountable, regardless of their rank or political connections. Many have expressed frustration at the slow pace of justice in the years since the attacks.

• Nearly 270 people were killed in the Easter Sunday bombings.
• Attacks targeted three churches and three five-star hotels simultaneously.
• Intelligence warnings prior to the attacks were reportedly ignored.
• Multiple investigations have cited failures within the State Intelligence Service.

The minister's claim is expected to intensify pressure on authorities to reopen or broaden the scope of ongoing legal proceedings related to the bombings. It also raises fresh questions about whether the full truth behind the attacks has yet to be brought before the Sri Lankan public.

The Easter Sunday attacks remain the deadliest act of terrorism on Sri Lankan soil since the end of the civil war in 2009, and the demand for justice among the families of victims has never wavered.

No immediate official response from Sallay or his legal representatives had been reported at the time of publication. The government has not yet indicated whether formal legal action would follow the minister's statement.

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