News
Air Force intelligence alerted SIS on several occasions since 2014 to danger of extremism
Air Force intelligence officers had informed the State Intelligence Service (SIS) of the activities of Islamic extremists on several occasions since 2014, a senior Air Force officer, on Friday (24) told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
The witness said that they had provided information to the SIS, on 26 August 2014, about a group of Pakistani nationals engaged in extremist activities in Kattankudy. The Pakistanis had been directly working with several Thowheed Jamaat organisations in the area, he said.
The witness said that Mohamed Kamil, a resident of Dewahuwa, Galewela, was an Islamic State (IS) ideologue and had run a shop called ‘Jayamini’ at the Dambulla Economic Centre. This was relayed to the SIS on 25 July, 2017.
On May 2017, Air Force intelligence warned the SIS and the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) about several Sri Lankan Facebook accounts that were promoting ISIS.
The Air Force intelligence had also provided information to the SIS about a person who was staying in the Pasyala under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the conversion of a traditional mosque in the Godapitiya, Akuressa into a Thowheed Jamaat mosque, the witness added.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished bys the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to extend Visas of those unable to leave Sri Lanka due to the
cancellation of flights to the Middle East from 28.02.2026 for another 14 days without any payments and re-extend the extended Visas for another 14 days without payments if the flights cancellations continue.
Taking into consideration the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Council, and Local Government, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint Sunil Galagama, a Special Grade Officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is currently serving as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, as the District Secretary to Badulla Administrative District with immediate effect.
The Cabinet of Ministers, taking into consideration the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Council, and Local Government, have decided to appoint Anupama Mangala Wickramaarachchi, a special grade officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is serving as the Additional Commissioner General of Agrarian Development of the Department of the Agrarian Development at present, as the District Secretary , Ampara Administrative district with immediate effect.
Cabinet approves 14 day Visa extension
Sunil Galagama appointed as District Secretary Badulla
Anupama Mangala Wickramaarachchi appointed District Secretary Ampara
Committee on Economic Surveillance to be established
Cabinet nod to include the National Savings Bank for the Interest-Free Loan Scheme for Students
Nepal election 2026: Counting continues with rapper Balendra Shah’s party close to super-majority
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