Sri Lankan police have arrested three people suspected of plotting an attack against Israeli tourists at the east coast surfing resort of Arugam Bay following a tip-off from Indian intelligence, officials said Thursday.
Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said all three suspects arrested by the police terrorism investigation division were Sri Lankan nationals.
They are being interrogated to find out whether they planned to carry out attacks targeting Israelis, the minister said.
Earlier, police announced the arrest of two people and said it resulted from Indian intelligence, which warned of an attack between October 19 and 23.
On Wednesday, the US Embassy and the British High Commission in Colombo issued statements warning their citizens that they had received credible information targeting Arugam Bay and urging tourists to avoid the area until further notice.
Responding to opposition criticism that the public was not informed about the threat until the US Embassy issued its travel advisory, Herath said, “We did not inform the public until the information was verified Caste.” “Some information has emerged that there could be a potential threat to the safety of tourists visiting Sri Lanka,” Herath was quoted as saying by local media.
He said, “Intelligence agencies got information about this. We took immediate action after receiving the information.”
He said that after receiving the information, the government took immediate action to provide security at all coastal areas and tourist places.
Herath said adequate measures have been taken to ensure the safety of all tourists.
He said US Ambassador Julie Chung had informed the government about the travel advisory on the Arugam Gulf security situation.
The US has warned its citizens to stay away from popular tourist resorts on the East Coast until further notice. Security has been increased in the area.
Meanwhile, police said the security net had been extended to the southern coast and southeastern resort areas.
Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority groups have condemned the war in Gaza and Lebanon by holding frequent anti-Israel protests.
Several posts calling for a boycott of Israeli businesses in the East Bank have appeared on social media.
Police vowed to provide security to all foreign nationals. A hotline has been set up for tourists to alert authorities about any suspicious activities.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)