COLOMBO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved the formation of a new oversight mechanism to monitor the implementation of recommendations after the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Authorities noted that although approval had been granted in May 2021 to implement recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry and the then Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security, there is currently no formal or sustained system to assess progress on measures proposed in the aftermath of the attacks.
To address this gap, the government has approved the establishment of a mechanism designed to ensure continuous monitoring, with a focus on strengthening public and national security.
Under the approved proposal, submitted by the president in his capacity as minister of defence, a committee will be appointed to oversee the process. The committee is to include a specialist in counter-terrorism and national security, along with representatives from relevant ministries and institutions.
On April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated IS-related suicide bombings. The suicide attacks caused more than 260 deaths and wounded more than 500. ■
