Tight security around Sri Lankan churches on Good Friday, more than 6000 policemen deployed – Dainik Savera Times

Colombo: In Sri Lanka, special vigil is being maintained around churches on the occasion of ‘Good Friday’ and security has been tightened at various places in the country. A senior police officer gave this information. Police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said that more than 6,000 policemen, more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 400 Special Task Force (STF) members have been deployed across the country on the occasion of ‘Good Friday’.

He said, ‘We have identified 2,268 churches where Good Friday prayers are being held for special security.’ Police have launched a special hotline to report any suspicious activity around churches. . Police said all kinds of precautions are being taken to mark the completion of five years of the suicide bombing on Easter Sunday in 2019. Meanwhile, the magistrate court in Maligawatta in central Colombo has issued summons to former President Maithripala Sirisena to appear before the court on April 4 to record his statement.

Earlier, the CID branch of the police had informed the court about Sirisena’s statement recorded last week regarding his public comments during the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attack. Sirisena had said that he knew who carried out the blasts on Easter Sunday in 2019. The then President Sirisena was in charge of the Defense Ministry and was accused of not being proactive in stopping the attacks despite having prior intelligence about them. A local jihadist organization linked to ISIS was blamed for the attacks.