Two men were allegedly preparing an attack on Israeli tourists at a popular surfing resort
Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism police have arrested two people suspected of plotting an attack on Israeli tourists, local media reported on Thursday. The island nation was tipped off about the threat by Indian intelligence services.
The suspects were taken into custody at the surfing resort of Arugam Bay in the eastern part of Sri Lanka. A police spokesman said the two individuals could have been planning to attack Israeli citizens at a building that is reportedly used as a synagogue.
Indian intelligence had reportedly identified the duo by name. One of them is said to be based in Iraq and was visiting his home country. Sri Lanka’s acting inspector general of police, Priyantha Weerasooriya, told journalists that the tip came on October 7.
On Wednesday, Sri Lankan officials issued a warning about a possible attack against foreign tourists in the Arugam Bay area and deployed some 500 police officers to beef up security.
On the same day, the Israeli Security Council urged citizens of the Jewish state in Sri Lanka to stay vigilant and designated the resort as a Level 4 threat. Israelis were advised to either leave the country or go to the capital, Colombo, where there is a larger security presence.
Several other nations, including the US, Russia, and the UK issued similar warnings through their embassies.
Sri Lanka is a popular tourist destination with over 1.5 million arrivals in the first eight months of this year, according to government statistics. Of those, more than 20,000 were Israeli citizens.
The country is predominantly Buddhist, but also has a sizable Muslim community, members of which called for a boycott of Israeli businesses due to the Gaza war. Some local officials have accused Israeli citizens of overstaying their visas and disrespecting local laws, according to the media.
