Sri Lanka failed to arrest Easter bomber despite warnings

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.

"Police could have at least detained him for questioning when there were these reports against him." Official sources said Hashim came to the attention of the authorities following a violent clash with a moderate Muslim group in his village in eastern Sri Lanka two years ago. However he was not arrested.

The national parliament Wednesday began investigating the circumstances that allowed a known Islamist group to stage the audacious attack targeting three Christian churches and three luxury hotels.