Rajapaksa orders committee to expedite Easter attack probe

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed a committee investigating the April 21 Easter Sunday terror attacks to expedite their probe, identify all the perpetrators and produce them before the law, a statement released by his office said here on Tuesday.

President Rajapaksa in discussions with members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate and inquire into the attacks, said there was an urgent need to identify roots and modalities and uncover all information related to the massacre, reports Xinhua news agency.

The President said the security situation was continuously reviewed with intelligence officers.

"If there was any information that threatened national security, necessary action was taken in no time. That was how we were able to deport 160 preachers who were propagating extremist ideas," he informed the PCoI.

Rajapaksa further requested the PCoI to make recommendations to prevent recurrence of such tragedies, adding that maintaining national security was of utmost importance.

He also offered to provide all necessary facilities required by the special commission.

Over 250 people were killed in the April 21 suicide attacks which targeted three churches and three luxury hotels across the island country.

A local extremist group named the National Tawheed Jammaat were identified to be responsible for the attack.