Not informed of terror threat alert given by India: Sri Lankan President

New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena admitted on Friday that Indian intelligence agencies in April this year had informed their Sri Lankan counterparts about a terror threat in the island but that in a “great shortcoming”, his country's then defence secretary and then Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had failed to inform him about the threat for a full 12 days till he left the island for an overseas official visit on  April 16.

On April 21, serial blasts in five-star hotels and Churches had rocked colombo and nearby areas killing scores of people. The two officials have since been sacked. The visiting Sri Lankan President was interacting with reporters in New Delhi.

“A clear report had been sent by Indian Intelligence agencies to the state agencies of Sri Lanka about the possibility of an attack. This information was passed on April 4. ... Letters were exchanged. On April 16, I left the island (on an official  visit). I was in the island (Sri Lanka) for 12 days (from April 4 to 16). However, none of the defence chiefs (defence secretary and IGP) informed me regarding receipt of

such Intelligence. Had I known, I would never have left the island. Had I known, I would have taken action. It was a great shortcoming from our defence chiefs. I have taken action to remove the (then) Defence Secretary and IGP from their offices,” the Sri Lankan President said, adding that had he knownabout the alert, he “would not have allowed so many lives to be lost and would have taken necessary action”.

On who had carried out the blasts, the Sri Lankan President said, “It is very clear that attacks on Sri Lanka was perpetrated by an Islamist extremist group.” The President said the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks came from “rich families” and some had even obtained “doctorates”. He also pointed out that the Islamic State (IS) had claimed responsibility for the blasts. President Sirisena said those Sri Lankan extremists who had carried out the attack in his country had earlier travelled abroad and obtained training in areas where international terror groups were operating. But in response to a question, he said that he had not received any information that these terrorists had travelled to India earlier and that there was “no link”.