Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala revealed in Parliament today that the Indian-owned Taj Samudra Hotel had alerted the State Intelligence Service (SIS) via email, just minutes after suicide bomber Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel checked into the hotel on April 20, 2019 — a day before the devastating Easter Sunday attacks.
The Minister said the hotel’s management had flagged suspicious activity and informed intelligence authorities, but despite the alert — and the fact that Jameel was already on a security watch list — the SIS failed to take any action.
However, according to sources in the hotel, it was confirmed that the guest list had been sent to both the intelligence services and the President’s security division, following day morning, 21 April, but no specific details about any guest were mentioned.
Meanwhile, after the bomb blast, a detailed report was telecast by the local TV channel, which follows below for more information.
Jameel was originally assigned to carry out a bombing at the Taj Samudra, but after his attempt failed, he moved to another location. He later died in an explosion at the Tropical Inn in Dehiwala on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.
The Taj Samudra is operated by TAL Lanka Hotels PLC, a subsidiary of the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), which is part of India’s Tata Group. The hotel’s early warning highlights the broader intelligence failures leading up to one of Sri Lanka’s deadliest terrorist attacks.
