Sri Lanka has for the first time named a military officer to head the country's main intelligence agency, which was blamed for failing to prevent Islamist extremist bombings in April that killed 259 people.

Sri Lanka shakes up intelligence agency after Easter attacks

A Sri Lankan court Tuesday rejected prosecution demands that the country's police chief and a top defence official face murder charges for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks.

Sri Lanka court rejects Easter bomb murder charge against officials

A day after Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena asked the police chief and defence secretary to quit, Hemasiri Fernando, the defence secretary resigned in the wake of terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday which killed at least 359 people.

Sri Lanka terror attacks: Defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando quits