Making a special statement in parliament, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe a short while ago said the government would eradicate terrorism with the assistance offered by the international community. He said this in a special statement he made in Parliament and added that the country had been offered assistance by many countries and international organisations including the United Nations to combat terrorism.

The Prime Minister said US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinso Abey, Foreign Minister of Pakistan and leaders of Sweden, Russia and many other countries had telephoned him and pledged their support to Sri Lanka.

“We should seize this opportunity use their assistance to eradicate terrorism,” he said. “Sri Lanka has entered the map of global terrorism with the ruthless attacks on Sunday. Therefore we have to consider those who launched the attack as global terrorists and it is time brought about structural changes to face this terror situation."

The Prime Minister said this terrorism was different to the terrorism which Sri Lanka faced for 30 years and pointed out that it would have been impossible to defeat local terrorists if the ground battles were not won.

“What happened during the 30-year war was a mixture of ground battles and guerrilla warfare. We are in a similar situation like Britain where that country is facing a different conflict now as a result of global terrorism in the aftermath of wars like the one we faced,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the UN code of conduct in creating a world free of terrorism would be implemented to crack down on this global terrorist group in Sri Lanka and underscored a host of steps that would be carried out such as arresting terrorists, preempting attacks, use of technology and confronting the threats posed by the terrorists in dealing with the issue.

He said Sri Lanka was facing global terrorism today it was not an issue to do with ethnic or religious extremists. The Prime Minister stressed that one of the main objectives of these terrorists was to destabilize the county’s economy which was gradually picking up.

“The Police and the Security Forces have been instructed to arrest the brains behind the suicide bombers. We request all ethnic and religious groups to unitedly support the government to eradicate this manifestation of global terrorism from the country,” he said.

The Prime Minister stressed that a majority of Muslims were against terrorism and extremism and pointed out that only a few Tamils who supported the LTTE initially but that situation changed with the July 1983 riots.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister died when their helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog, an Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has not requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold a general election first but only conveyed the opnion of the SLPP to the President, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said today.

Recognising the efforts of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera in promoting national unity and social support, the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiri, Ramanna Nikaya, and the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha have appealed to the President to grant Ven. Gnanasara Thera a pardon on Vesak Poya day.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested four ISIS terrorists, all of whom are Sri Lankan nationals, at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

Claiming that 82 MPs have requested vehicle permits, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said they would take possible steps to stop the move.

A person was arrested in Dehiwala for facilitating over 100 individuals to go to Russia on tourist visas, police said. The suspect was arrested by the Human Trafficking, Smuggling and Maritime Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday urged the Sri Lankan Government to take decisive action to uncover the fates and locations of tens of thousands of individuals subjected to enforced disappearances over the years and to hold those responsible accountable.

Today marks the 15th Anniversary of the Mullivaikkal Genocide and the second Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day as recognized by Parliament. On this solemn anniversary, Tamils around the world stand in solidarity with the victims, survivors, and families in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Together, we strive to unveil the truth, hold those responsible for atrocities accountable, and ultimately achieve justice.

The President’s Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor Sagala Ratnayaka has informed US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu that steps will be taken to set up a local research team for surveillance in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

Speaking at a commemoration marking the 15th anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka’s internal armed conflict on 18 May 2009, which culminated in the brutal Mullivaikkal offensive where countless civilian lives were lost, Secretary General at Amnesty International Agnès Callamard said:

The presidential election is set to be conducted on October 5 or 12. The Sunday Times learns that the Election Commission has had consultations on the possible dates for the conduct of the elections and considered the two days, which are Saturdays.

Former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, has said that a decision has been made to dissolve Parliament on or after June 14.

A series of events will be held over a period of three days beginning today (17) in the Northern and Eastern regions as well as Colombo to mark the end of war 15 years ago.

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (16) said that nominee to be the next US Ambassador to Colombo Elizabeth K. Horst had revealed that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government announced a ban on foreign research vessels’ entry into Sri Lankan waters on January 1 this year at the behest of the US.

The Gampaha High Court Trial-at-Bar acquitted the four accused including a Major involved in the shooting incident that resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the injury of several others during a protest for clean drinking water in Rathupaswala on August 1, 2013.

Former Army Commander General Mahesh Senanayake who joined the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today has been appointed the head of the party's Ranaviru Balakaya. Ranawiru Balakaya is a group of ex-military men who support the SJB. He received the appointment from Party Leader Sajith Premadasa this morning.

The Indian Navy has arrested 14 Sri Lankan fishermen along with five boats for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and for fishing sea cucumber on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Showery and windy conditions arebexpected to enhance during th enext few days from today evening due to pre-monsoonal conditions over the country and surrounding sea areas. Heavy rainfall above 100 mm can be expected at some places in Western,Sabaragamuwa, North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

Over 70 international transitional justice and human rights scholars have urged the Sri Lankan Government to halt the establishment of a Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation (CTUR) as it has been rejected by victim groups and the broader national context is not conducive for such a process.

Former Speaker and National Movement for Social Justice Chairperson Karu Jayasuriya voiced his profound regret yesterday over the Police’s handling of the porridge distribution event in Sampur commemorating the victims of the war and enforced disappearances.