The ghosts of Sri Lanka’s 2019 Easter bombings, which killed 279 in a spree of church and hotel blasts, refuse to die. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered a fresh probe, starting with the handcuffing of Suresh Salleh, once the nation’s intelligence powerhouse.
Hero of LTTE’s demise, Salleh helmed SIS under Gotabaya Rajapaksa amid the fateful election year. Accusations fly that he sanctioned the NTJ assaults to rig votes—a bombshell poised to rewrite history. Political storm clouds gather, with LTTE revival specters looming large.
India’s NIA steps into the spotlight, tracing mastermind Zahran Hashim’s footprints from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu hubs. Hashim radicalized Coimbatore bomber Jameesha Mubeen and seeded networks in eight southern districts. Forensic hauls of ISIS-tainted videos spotlight his command from afar.
Salleh’s debriefing holds promise for dismantling these threads. Officials tread warily on LTTE-ISI plots, but affirm India-Sri Lanka’s united front. Evolving ties emphasize investments over ideology, bolstered by leader-level trust ensuring security pacts.
As former diplomat Ali Sabri voices unease, the region watches. This resurgence of inquiry demands rigorous scrutiny, given NTJ’s spillover risks to India’s south. Outcomes here could safeguard millions, cementing a template for countering hybrid threats in South Asia.