President Anura Disanayaka has pledged to expose those accountable for the Easter Sunday bombings as the sixth anniversary of the attacks approaches on April 21st. The Criminal Investigation Department is reportedly working to identify and apprehend suspects before this date.
The Catholic Church has responded with cautious optimism, expressing its trust in the new government’s commitment to justice.
Meanwhile, the FBI has confirmed that Zaharan Hashim was the mastermind behind the attacks, and former minister Pillayan has revealed information about women trained by Hashim. Fifteen women participated in one such training program in December 2018. Five of these women were killed in a subsequent bomb attack, three have been arrested, and the remaining seven are being questioned by the Terrorism Investigation Division.
In a separate development, the Criminal Investigation Department has launched an investigation into former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s request to speak by phone with former minister Pillayan, who is currently in detention. The request was denied by a prison official.