Sri Lanka Arrests Spy Chief Who Allegedly Let Easter Bombings Kill 279 Christians

Sri Lanka Finally Arrests Former Spy Chief Over 2019 Easter Sunday Church Bombings That Killed 279

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department arrested retired Major General Suresh Sallay at dawn on February 25, 2026, in a suburb of Colombo. He faces charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, including 45 foreign nationals.

The coordinated suicide attacks struck three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, injuring more than 500 people. Two Roman Catholic churches and one evangelical Protestant church were targeted during Easter Sunday congregations. The massacre remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka's history and devastated the nation's tourism industry.

Sallay was promoted to head the State Intelligence Service (SIS) after Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the presidency in November 2019. He was later dismissed when Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office in 2024. Dissanayake's administration had promised to pursue prosecutions.

British broadcaster Channel 4 reported in 2023 that Sallay had links to the Islamist bombers and had met with them before the attack. A whistleblower told the network that Sallay deliberately allowed the bombings to proceed in order to influence the presidential election in favor of Rajapaksa.

He was arrested for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attacks.

An investigating officer confirmed the charges to reporters.

Just two days after the bombings, Rajapaksa declared his candidacy for president. He went on to win the November vote in a landslide after pledging to stamp out violence and Islamist extremism.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court had already ruled in 2023 that former President Maithripala Sirisena and four senior officials failed to prevent the bombings. Sirisena was ordered to pay 100 million rupees ($273,300) personally. The police chief, two senior intelligence officers, and the Defence Ministry secretary were jointly ordered to pay 210 million rupees ($574,000) in compensation.

The United Nations has requested that Sri Lanka publish previously withheld portions of earlier inquiries into the bombings. Other investigations faulted authorities for failing to act on warnings from Indian intelligence about an imminent attack.

Former Intelligence Chief Faces Justice for Easter Massacre of Christians in Sri Lanka

In April 2025, the Vatican recognized 167 Catholics killed in the St. Anthony's and St. Sebastian's church bombings as "witnesses of faith." The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has continued pressing for full transparency and complete accountability surrounding the attacks.

Sallay has consistently denied all accusations. His arrest marks the most high profile action taken in the long running investigation, bringing renewed hope to the families of victims who have waited nearly seven years for justice.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let this arrest be a reminder to every government on Earth: when you target Christians at prayer, justice will eventually find you. 279 souls were slaughtered on the holiest day of the Christian calendar, and credible evidence suggests a military intelligence chief allowed it to happen for political gain. That is evil of the most calculated kind. If a Christian intelligence official had orchestrated bombings of mosques to win an election, every major institution on the planet would have intervened within days, not years. It took nearly seven years for Sri Lanka to arrest this man. Seven years of families burying their children and begging for answers while the world looked the other way. We will not forget. We will not be silent. And we will never stop demanding that the blood of Christian martyrs be answered with justice.

Take Action

• Pray for the families of the 279 victims who have waited nearly seven years for justice and accountability in Sri Lanka.
• Support persecuted Christians in South Asia through The Shepherd's Shield, which provides direct aid to victims of religious persecution.
• Donate to Open Doors USA, which works to support persecuted Christians across Asia and ranks Sri Lanka on its World Watch List.
• Contact your elected representatives and urge them to press Sri Lanka's government for full transparency on the Easter Sunday bombing investigation and accountability for all officials involved.
• Share this story on social media to raise awareness. The mainstream media gave the Sri Lanka Easter bombings a fraction of the coverage they deserved. Be the voice these victims need.