by Rathindra Kuruwita

State Intelligence Service (SIS) had warned the the IGP, on April 25, that family members and close relations of those who had carried out the Easter Sunday attacks would launch a second wave of attacks targeting hospitals, shopping malls, supermarkets, police stations and the Indian High Commission, former SIS Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena yesterday informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

Jayawardene added that those killed during the Saindamarudu safe house explosion on April 26, 2019 were some of the terrorists tasked with carrying out the second wave of terror. Earlier it was revealed before the commission that 12 National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) members had remained in the East mount attacks in August 2019 and that they had been killed at the Saindamarudu safe house.

Jayawardena said that he had also submitted a report containing the names the remaining close associates of NTJ leader Zaharan Hashim on 24 April, 2019 to the SDIG of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). He told the PCoI that they wanted to dismantle Zaharan’s network.

“There was no going back for those in the close circle. They would carry out a second wave of attacks. And I also sent a team of SIS officers from Colombo to the East to assist our designated officer there,” he said.

Among the group of remaining associates was Mohamed Zaharan Fazlur Rahman, who lived in Matale. Jayawardena said Rahman had sent the ISIS evidence to show that Zahran and others were adherents of ISIS.

it was only after receiving this that ISIS had claimed the responsibility for attacks, Jayawardena said.

Jayawardena also said that by April 24 they had identified 11 men and 6 women capable of launching a series of suicide attacks.

Jayawardena said that they had received information warning that militants dressed in army uniform were planning to launch the attack using vans. There were reports of possible attacks targeting five locations, including Batticaloa, and that another attack could be carried out targeting people arriving to see the devastation after the initial attacks.”

SIS had sent information to the relevant officials including the secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of National Intelligence, the IGP, as well as the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS).

Asked by members of the PCoI why the letter had been forwarded to the CDS, Jayawardene said that he had been instructed to forward the reports prepared by the SIS to the CDS at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting on 22 April, 2019.

Asked by the Additional Solicitor General, who led the evidence who had attended the NSC meeting on 22 April, 2019, Jayawardene said former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary and Secretary to the President had been present. The witness said that he did not remember whether former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe or State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene had been present at the meeting. He further said that the then IGP Jayasundara had also attended the NSC meeting held on that day for the first time since October 2018.

Jayawardena also submitted a letter sent by the IGP, warning senior Police officials, that they had received information that some groups could attack mosques. Through that letter, the IGP had instructed the Police officials to meet the moulavis and inform them of the dangers of such an attack, Jayawardena added.