News
CID was aware of possible attacks after detection of explosives at W’willuwa
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The CID was aware of the possibility of a terrorist attack following the detection of explosives at the Wanathawilluwa Jihadist Training Camp and had promptly informed former IGP Pujith Jayasundara about it, former SDIG of the CID, Ravi Seneviratne yesterday told the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks.
Seneviratne said the CID had begun investigating the attacks on the Buddha statues at Mawanella in December 2018 and the detection of explosives in Wanathawilluwa was a result of those investigations,
Seneviratne also told the PCoI that he had requested Jayasundara to inform the National Security Council (NSC) of the possi bility of a terrorist attack. The former IGP had said he no longer attended the NSC.
Seneviratne said: “Through these investigations we found information about National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) and its leader Zahran Hashim. It was Jayasundara who asked me to investigate the Mawanella incident and I instructed the Director and the DIG in charge of the CID to send a team to the area.”
The witness said that the CID had not been aware of Hashim’s direct links to extremist activists before the Wanathawilluwa raid. However, investigations had revealed that Hashim was a frequent visitor to the place.
“We also found a diagram of explosive devices,” he said.
The CID had also sent a progress report on the detection made at the Wanathawilluwa Jihadist Training camp to the IGP on January 26, 2019, Seneviratne said.
“Before the detection, the State Intelligence Service (SIS) had not shared their reports with us. However, after Wanathawilluwa, former Director of the SIS, SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena frequently shared information with the CID. We also spoke about the contents of the report over the phone.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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