Lankan Prez asks def sec, police chief to quit for mishandling intelligence on Easter Sunday attacks

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has demanded the resignation of the defence secretary and the country's police chief after they failed to prevent the deadly Easter Sunday suicide blasts though they had prior intelligence inputs on the impending attack, media reports said Wednesday.

In his address to the nation for the first time since the Easter Sunday blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others, Sirisena last night said he will make make changes in top positions in the security establishment within the next 24 hours.

President Sirisena has asked Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara to resign from their posts, the Sunday Times reported, quoting sources close to the president.

Shiral Lakthilaka, advisor to the President also confirmed that the President asked for the resignation of Fernando, and the police chief, Jayasundara.

He added that constitutionally the president does not have the authority to dismiss the police chief.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's opposition MP Wijedasa Rajapaksa told a press conference that he forwarded a letter to President Sirisena asking him to arrest both Fernando and Jayasundara.

Sirisena last night said that the people were questioning why action had not been taken by the top security officials despite the availability of intelligence support from a friendly neighbouring country.

Former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake is being considered for the post of Defence Secretary, the paper added.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the devastating Easter blasts in Sri Lanka and identified the seven suicide bombers who were involved in the attacks.