Easter Sunday bombings: Sri Lankan President assures to bring culprits to justice

Recalling the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said his government is committed to bringing the culprits responsible for the attack to justice.

"We will leave no room for the culprits as well as groups, who are responsible for this dastardly attack to escape the arm of law," Rajapaksa said in a message to mark the celebration of Easter on Sunday, as quoted by the Colombo Page.

Rajapaksa said his government is determined to ensure national security in order to prevent a repeat of such tragedies in the country.

The Cabinet panel that studied the recommendations of the Presidential Commission into the Easter attacks would submit its report to President Rajapaksa on Monday.

While speaking to the media, Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga on Saturday had informed that the report will be released to the public after it is handed over to the President, Colombo Page reported.

Rajapaksa recently appointed the Cabinet Sub-Committee to study in-depth the findings and recommendations contained in the report on the Easter Sunday attack and to advise on the next course of action.

From mulling burqa ban to de-radicalisation law, the Sri Lankan government has taken several steps as part of a crackdown against 'Islamic extremism' in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings.

On April 21, 2019, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the capital Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings. Over 250 people were killed and scores suffered injuries.

The bombings shook the world and shifted the priority of the Sri Lankan government to national security. After the attacks, the government came under tremendous pressure to keep surveillance on Muslims and ban burqa in the country.

( With inputs from ANI )