Sri Lanka’s public security minister tells parliament that the country’s former intelligence chief played a direct role in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. According to multiple reports, the minister makes the first official statement linking the ex-intelligence officer to the attacks that killed 279 people. The minister says the former spy chief “directed” or “orchestrated” the bombing operation, including selecting targets and coordinating with Islamic extremists prior to the attacks. The claims are reported as being made in parliament on Wednesday. Separately, the ex-spy chief referenced in the reports—Major General Suresh Sallay—is described as having been arrested in February. The outlets broadly characterize the minister’s account as describing operational direction and coordination ahead of the Easter bombings. The reports present the information as part of Sri Lanka’s official statements and parliamentary proceedings, without providing additional details on evidence or any courtroom rulings at the time of publication.