Today marks the sixth anniversary of the devastating Easter Sunday attacks that claimed the lives of over 250 people.
On 21st of April 2019, members of the extremist group National Thowheed Jamaat launched a coordinated series of suicide bombings across Sri Lanka.
Their targets included three churches—St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, St. Anthony’s Church in Kotahena, and Zion Church in Batticaloa—as well as three major tourist hotels: the Kingsbury, Shangri-La, and Cinnamon Grand in Colombo.
The attacks were aimed at Christian worshippers celebrating Easter, as well as foreign tourists.
Tragically, although intelligence warnings had been issued prior to the attacks, the general public remained unaware and unprotected.
Led by extremist Zaharan Hashim, the bombings resulted in the deaths of 277 people and left over 400 others seriously injured.
Now, six years later, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed that the Presidential Commission’s report on the Easter Sunday attacks be submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department for renewed investigation.
