News

‘Colombo based Indian HC official issued last warning before 2019 Easter attacks

Published

5 years ago

2021/08/13

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The founding Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) Asanga Abeyagoonasekera says the then Chief of State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardana had received the final warning about the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks from an Indian with diplomatic status based at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

Abeygoonasekera, in an exclusive interview with Chamuditha Samarwickrema recently on ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ quoted the Indian as having told him intelligence on the impending blasts would have been shared if he knew Abeygoonasekera was planning to visit Shangri La.

Abeygoonasekera was about to press the button of a lift in Shangri La when the first of the two blasts ripped through the hotel. One time Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) had been with his wife and two children.

Shangri La blasts claimed the lives of 35 persons and wounded 34.

Abeygoonasekera alleged that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) that inquired into the Easter attacks prevented him from naming the Indian.

Claiming that he knew the diplomat for some time, Abeygoonasekera questioned how the Indian intelligence had prior information of the date of the operation unless someone within Zahran Hashim’s outfit worked for them.

Zahran Hashim and Ilham Ahmed carried out attacks in Shangrila.

Abeygoonasekera said that when he asked for an explanation as to how India got to know about the date of the suicide attacks, the Indian HC representative attributed their success to examination of accidental explosion in Sainthamaruthu in the East. Abeygoonasekera said that Indian claimed the accidental blast that had wrecked a motorcycle led them to get specific information.

Abeygoonasekera agreed with interviewer Samarawickrema the diplomat’s claim was not acceptable.

However, Abeygoonasekera appeared to have mistakenly referred to a blast at Sainthamaruthu in the run up to the April 21 suicide attacks whereas the actual test blast took place at Kattankudy on April 16.

Abeygoonasekera now functions as the Senior Advisor to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.

The young academic alleged that in the wake of 2019 Easter attacks the yahapalana government sought to move him out of INSSSL. Asserting that an influential section of the previous administration wanted him out of that position in the wake of him raising the failure on the part of the then President Maithripala Sirisena to act on a missive sent by him as regards heightened threat posed by extremists.

Declaring that he raised the issue at the National Security Council following the Easter Sunday blasts, Abeygoonasekera admitted that he was not sure whether the President actually received his report exclusively prepared for him though it was submitted through the Secretary, Ministry of Defence.

Pressed for a definite answer, Abeygoonasekera said that when he inquired from President Sirisena, the latter claimed he never received it.

Abeygoonasekera claimed that however, Senior DIG Jayawardena had told him how President Sirisena discarded the report expressing concerns about causing an unnecessary issue.

Abeygoonasekera, the only son of assassinated SLMP leader Ossie Abeygoonasekera recalled how President Sirisena created INSSSL by a cabinet paper. The SLMP leader was killed in an LTTE suicide attack on UNP presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake’s political platform at Thotalanga in Oct 1994.

The academic contested Gampaha district at the 2015 general election on the UNP ticket.

Asanga Abeygoonasekera questioned whether the powers that be felt uncomfortable as a result of him disputing the then administration’s response to the extremist threat. According to him, in his capacity as the DG, INSSSL, he authored a report warning the President of the impending threat soon after the police raided extremists’ hideout at Wanathawilluwa in January 2019.

Responding to interviewer, Abeygoonasekera said that after the 2019 presidential election he was told of a diplomatic posting at the Sri Lankan mission in Germany. On an assurance received from the cabinet by way of a letter, Abeygoonasekera quit the INSSSL to pave the way for the incumbent Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage to take over that post. However, the diplomatic posting hadn’t materialized as promised, Abeygoonasekera said, adding that though he brought the development to the notice of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa the government didn’t take remedial measures.

After the change of government in 2015 the then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had removed Abeygoonasekera from LKIIRSS though the same government created INSSSL later to accommodate him.

Commenting on former Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC’s declaration soon before his retirement in May this year that the Easter Sunday carnage was a conspiracy, Abeygoonasekera explained how the perpetrators would have chosen Sri Lanka to carry out the operation. Abeygoonasekera made reference to high level Indian delegation visiting Colombo just ahead of the Easter carnage.

The Catholic Church has repeatedly asked the government to inquire into the former AG’s claim though he was yet to be questioned.

According to the Parliamentary Select Committee that inquired into the suicide blasts that claimed the lives of 277, including bombers and caused injuries to 406 persons.

Abeygoonasekera strongly questioned the conduct of the then SIS Chief Senior DIG Jayawardena. In spite of President Sirisena’s specific instructions, Jayawardena conveniently refrained from making available certain letters written by Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara thera regarding extremist activities. The SIS Chief withheld those letters claiming they had previously examined the matters discussed therein, Abeygoonasekera said.

Abeygoonasekera declined to blame any particular country though he expressed the belief Indian, US and China factors should be examined thoroughly. The academic lamented the failure on the part of successive administrations to probe how the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) received the required funding. Asked whether the perpetrators could be identified, Abeygoonasekera quoted a foreign expert as having told him perhaps in about 20 to 30 years.

Referring to a discussion he had with Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Abeygoonasekera said that the Church suspected a certain country, though he didn’t want to disclose the Archbishop’s suspicions. Abeygoonaekera said that all agreed that there was an external power behind the Easter Sunday carnage.

Declaring that President Sirisena, who had held the defence portfolio at the time of the deadly carnage didn’t benefit at all, Abeygoonasekera blamed the ‘Deep State’ for the heinous operation. When repeatedly asked by the interviewer, Abeygoonasekera admitted that his reference to experts in Singapore receiving the attention of the P CoI was about Prof. Rohan Gunaratne now with the INSSSL.

Abeygoonasekera said that the conduct of the then SIS Chief was very suspicious as he in spite of being the recipient of specific intelligence didn’t take tangible measures to thwart the attacks.

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News

Current El Niño Status in Sri Lanka

Published

5 hours ago

2026/07/16

Priyan

At present, El Niño conditions have developed and are classified as being at a weak level. Forecasts indicate a 63% probability of a very strong El Niño event developing during the period from November 2026 to January 2027. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is approximately a one-third probability that El Niño will remain below a very strong intensity.

Typical Climatic Conditions Associated with El Niño
Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 and 2025:
• Rainfall during July and August may be below normal, particularly in the dry zone areas.
• From October onward, rainfall is generally expected to be above normal.
• If a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) develops, enhanced rainfall conditions may continue until December.

Sectors Requiring Attention
• Appropriate measures should be taken for water resource management during July and August.
• Increased rainfall expected from October onward may lead to floods and landslides, requiring preparedness and close monitoring. The forecasts are important for sectors such as, Agriculture /Water management /Livestock /Health /Energy /Other climate-sensitive sectors
• Attention should be paid to official information issued by the Department of Meteorology.

Actions by the Department of Meteorology
The Department of Meteorology continuously monitors the evolving situation and issues:
• Weekly and monthly seasonal forecasts and Monthly analyses of rainfall data to monitor meteorological drought conditions.
As weather conditions are influenced not only by El Niño but also by other climatic factors, updated forecasts and advisories are regularly shared with relevant stakeholder organizations (Irrigation/ Water Management Committee /Department of Agriculture/National Building Research Institute/Disaster Management Centre (DMC)/Ministry of Health /Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation…etc). The Department also provides technical support to the committee established through a Cabinet decision to address climate-related impacts. The Department’s monthly rainfall outlook for July to September 2026 is attached

Monthly Rainfall Forecasts for July, August and September 2026
Month Rainfall forecast
July 2026

During July 2026, there is a higher probability of having near normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces. The remainder of the country is expected to experience below normal rainfall.

August 2026

There is a higher probability of having below normal rainfall across most parts of the country during month of August 2026.

September 2026

There is a possibility of above-normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces, while near-normal rainfall is expected in the Sabaragamuwa Province. Below-normal rainfall is likely in the remaining areas during September 2026.

Note: These long-range forecasts may change due to strong day-to-day atmospheric variability associated with the movement of weather systems such as atmospheric disturbances, low-pressure areas, and depressions, as well as intra-seasonal oscillations such as the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). Therefore, in addition to the weekly and monthly forecasts, it is important to pay attention to the Department’s official announcements, weather advisories and warnings, as well as the daily weather forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology.

News

Govt. move to extend retirement ages of top judges: Opp. complains to UN

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Peiris addresses the media outside the UN compound in Colombo on Thursday on the controversial government move to extend the retirement ages of Superior Court judges, while former MPs Thalatha Atukorale, Dr Suren Raghavan and Premanath C. Dolawatta look on.

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (15) briefed the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombo, Marc-André Franche, on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s move to extend the retirement ages of the superior court judges and the delay in filling the vacancies in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

Prof. Peiris, the convenor of the People’s Joint Opposition, led the delegation that included UNP General Secretary and former Minister Thalatha Atukorale, former UPFA National List parliamentarian Suren Raghavan and ex- SLPP MP Premnath C. Dolawatta.

Having met the top official here, Prof. Peiris briefed the media on their decision to bring the developing situation to the notice of the UN.

Referring to the opposition of the legal fraternity to the NPP government’s plan, Prof. Peiris emphasised that the civil society, too, had opposed the politically motivated initiative.

Prof. Peiris said that instead of addressing the burning issues affecting the public, the government was creating new problems.

News

Dengue surge pushes hospitals to the brink as cases near 70,000

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

A week-long crackdown to begin in 11 districts

Hospitals are coming under mounting pressure as the country’s dengue epidemic gathers pace, with nearly 70,000 infections and 48 deaths reported so far this year, prompting health authorities to launch an intensive week-long mosquito control campaign in 11 districts.

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said 69,951 dengue cases had been reported by July 13, with 14,572 new infections recorded during the first 13 days of July alone. June saw the highest monthly caseload of the year, underlining the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne disease during the southwest monsoon.

Acting Director of the NDCU, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, warned that the hospital system was facing severe congestion due to the unprecedented influx of dengue patients.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in admissions. Hospitals are under tremendous pressure, and public cooperation is essential to bring the outbreak under control,” he said, announcing that a special one-week dengue control programme would be implemented across 11 high-risk districts.

Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions as high-risk dengue zones. Public Health Inspectors will conduct inspections, eliminate mosquito breeding sites and initiate legal action against those maintaining mosquito-infested premises.

The Western Province continues to account for the largest share of infections, with Gampaha and Colombo among the worst-affected districts. Several hospitals are already operating beyond capacity as the number of admissions continues to climb.

Health officials attributed the surge to intermittent rains, poor waste disposal, stagnant water collections and inadequate community participation in vector control programmes.

The Ministry of Health has appealed to local authorities, schools, workplaces, religious institutions and households to inspect their premises regularly, clear blocked drains and roof gutters, cover water storage containers and remove discarded tyres, cans, bottles and other containers capable of collecting rainwater.

Medical experts urged the public not to ignore symptoms such as persistent fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding manifestations, stressing that early medical treatment is critical in preventing severe dengue and deaths.

Officials emphasised that eliminating mosquito breeding sites remains the single most effective way of controlling dengue, warning that unless communities actively participate, the outbreak could worsen during the ongoing rainy season.

With daily case numbers continuing to rise and hospitals struggling to cope, health authorities said the coming weeks would be crucial in determining whether the country can curb one of its worst dengue outbreaks in recent years.

By Ifham Nizam