Sri Lanka failed to arrest Easter bomber

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities failed to arrest the jihadist who led the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people despite mounting evidence against him, the country’s top intelligence official said Wednesday. Sisira Mendis told a parliamentary probe into security lapses leading to the April 21 suicide bombings that the attacks led by Zahran Hashim could have been avoided if he had been detained.

“He was reported for hate speech. He had come to the attention of the authorities before the attacks,” said Mendis, who is the chief of National Intelligence.