Sri Lanka arrested former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay on Feb. 25, 2026, over his alleged role in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 279.

Sri Lanka arrested former intelligence chief Major General Suresh Sallay on February 25, 2026, over his alleged role in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people and injured more than 500. The attacks targeted churches and hotels in Colombo and were carried out by a homegrown jihadist group. Sallay, who led the State Intelligence Service in 2019, faces charges of conspiracy and aiding the attacks, with reports suggesting he may have allowed them to proceed to influence the presidential election. He was dismissed after Anura Kumara Dissanayake became president in 2024 and pledged to investigate the attacks. The UN and Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church have called for transparency, and 25 suspects remain indicted in the country’s High Court.