Both the United States and Israel issued security alerts regarding a possible attack on tourist sites in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, particularly in the coastal region.
U.S. Embassy Warning
The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka released an alert stating that they had obtained “credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area.” In light of this threat, the embassy has placed travel restrictions on its personnel, effective immediately. The statement urged American citizens to “strongly avoid the Arugam Bay area until further notice” due to the serious risks involved.
Israel’s Travel Advisory
Similarly, Israel’s National Security Council issued a warning advising Israeli citizens to “immediately leave Arugam Bay and the south and west coastal areas of Sri Lanka.” The advisory cited “credible terrorism threats at the tourist and coastal areas” as the reason for the increased caution. Israel raised its travel advisory level for Sri Lanka, stating, “The travel alert for Arugam Bay and the coastal areas in south and west Sri Lanka (including for the cities Ahangam, Galle, Hikkaduwa, and Weligama) has been raised to level 4.” The advisory recommended that anyone in these areas should leave immediately or at least travel to the capital city, Colombo, where local security forces are more present.
The Israeli alert also included advice to “avoid openly exhibiting anything that could identify you as Israeli,” such as wearing t-shirts with Hebrew writing or displaying symbols related to one’s religion or nationality.
Context of the Alerts
Neither the U.S. nor Israeli alerts provided detailed information about the potential nature of the attack. It is important to note that recent protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza have occurred in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka. However, the country has not experienced significant terrorist attacks since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, when coordinated suicide attacks on three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels resulted in 270 deaths and over 500 injuries.