Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday horror of 2019, where suicide bombers slaughtered 279 innocents, is back under the microscope with the stunning arrest of Suresh Salleh, ex-head of the State Intelligence Service. This move by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake fulfills his vow to pursue justice without mercy.
Salleh rose to prominence crushing the LTTE, earning accolades before his SIS appointment post-Rajapaksa’s 2019 victory. Now, whispers of complicity swirl: did he orchestrate or allow the NTJ-led carnage to boost Rajapaksa’s election chances? The political fallout is seismic, igniting fears of LTTE ghosts resurfacing.
Enter India’s angle. Blast architect Zahran Hashim, an ISIS sympathizer, was no stranger to Tamil Nadu. NIA probes reveal he masterminded radical networks across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, inspiring the failed Coimbatore temple attack. Seized materials—50+ Hashim videos—paint a picture of Sri Lanka-directed plots infiltrating Indian soil.
Target districts in India scream vulnerability: Malappuram to Tirunelveli. While Salleh denies Easter links, his insights could crack open transnational cells. Indian watchers note ISI’s failed LTTE reboot bids, countered by Delhi-Colombo synergy. Bilateral bonds, now economically anchored, thrive on Modi-Dissanayake pragmatism across defense realms.
Echoing concerns, ex-minister Ali Sabri flags rising tensions. This arrest isn’t just closure for victims; it’s a stark reminder of extremism’s porous borders. With NIA intensifying southern sweeps, the subcontinent braces for disclosures that could fortify or fracture fragile peace.