Scott Morrison has confirmed one of the suicide bombers involved in the Sri Lankan bombings that killed more than 350 people on Easter Sunday spent time in Australia.
The prime minister says the man was not granted another visa after leaving Australia more than six years ago.
"I can confirm that the suicide bomber had been in Australia. They departed in early 2013. That individual had been here on a student and a graduate skilled visa," Mr Morrison told reporters in Townsville on Thursday.
"That individual had been here some years ago and they had a spouse and child visa at that time as well but they had not returned to the country."
Sri Lankan junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said on Wednesday the bomber had spent time in Australia.
"We believe one of the suicide bombers studied in the UK and maybe later on did his post-graduate (degree) in Australia before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka," he told a media conference.
He confirmed Australian intelligence agencies were helping with the investigation, alongside Interpol and British authorities.
The death toll from the Easter Sunday attacks has been revised up to 359, with about 500 wounded.
