On Good Friday, Sri Lanka remains on high alert, with police reporting increased security around churches

According to a senior police officer, Sri Lanka was placed on high alert on Friday and security was increased across the nation’s main cities, with extra watchfulness surrounding the churches hosting Good Friday services. Over 6,000 police officers, over 3,000 military troops, and over 400 members of the elite special task team were deployed nationwide on Good Friday, according to police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa.

According to Thalduwa, “We have identified 2,268 churches holding Good Friday services to provide special security.”

In order to report any suspicious activity around the churches, the police have also established a dedicated hotline.

In light of the fifth anniversary of the Easter Sunday suicide blasts in 2019, which claimed the lives of 270 people—including 11 Indians—the police stated they were exercising extreme care.

Maithripala Sirisena, the former president, has been summoned by the Maligawatta Magistrates Court in downtown Colombo to appear before the court on April 4 in order to record a statement.

This came after the police’s CID presented a statement to the court last week that Sirisena had given in response to his remarks in public indicating he knew who was responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019.

Sirisena was accused of failing to stop the assault even though there was earlier information available while serving as president and holding the position of military minister. Sirisena was mandated to reimburse the families of the 2019 bomb attack victims with 100 million rupees.

The first accusation of the assaults was placed on a local Islamist organization that had ties to ISIS.