A separate inquiry will have to be conducted into Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel, who blew himself up at Tropical Inn in Dehiwala during the coordinated Easter Sunday terror attacks in April 2019, former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena said.
He revealed the information when testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to probe the terror attacks.
SDIG Jayawardena informed the commission that he had received certain other information on the attacks and wishes to testify before a camera.
He further said the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo was Jameel’s original target but as he had failed to detonate the explosive at the location he had exploded it at the hotel in Dehiwela. Jameel is said to have left the Taj Samudra Hotel in a taxi after his failed attempt and had arrived at the hotel in Dehiwela.
Colombo was put into lockdown following the coordinated terrorist attack targeting 3 churches and 3 hotels from 08.45 a.m on 21 April 2019, SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena further said.
Doubts were raised if Jameel had exploded the bomb or if the explosion had taken place during testing, and investigations have to be conducted into this separately.
A tip-off was received from an informant on the morning of 21 April that the attacks were to take place from 06.00 – 10.00 a.m. with a Methodist church in Colombo among the targets.
SDIG Jayawardena said SDIG Western Province Nandana Munasinghe was then informed on the tip-off and inquired if officers had been deployed across Colombo as the attacks were imminent.
He was further instructed to inspect Maradana Panchikawatta and Kochchikade areas in Colombo. SDIG Western Province Nandana Munasinghe had confirmed that officers have already been deployed and security has been beefed up across Colombo, former SIS Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena said.
He added that many uncertainties were reported with regard to the Easter Sunday terror attacks, which have to be investigated separately under a special inquiry. (Newswire)
