A Sri Lankan court has imposed a foreign travel ban on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and two former military intelligence officers in connection with ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

 

The order was issued yesterday by Colombo Fort Magistrate when the case relating to the Easter Sunday attacks was taken up before the court.

 

The two military officers affected by the travel restriction are former Director of Military Intelligence Major General Chula Kodituwakku and former Head of the National Intelligence Bureau Major General Ruwan Kulatunga. Former Director of the State Intelligence Service, retired Major General Suresh Sallay, has also been named as a suspect in the investigations.

 

The court directed that the travel ban remain in effect pending further proceedings in the case.

 

The Easter Sunday attacks, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country’s history, were carried out on April 21, 2019, targeting churches and luxury hotels across Sri Lanka. More than 260 people, including dozens of foreign nationals, were killed, and hundreds were injured in the attacks. The coordinated suicide bombings were claimed by the Islamic State group and exposed major lapses in the country’s intelligence and security apparatus.