The last Israelis left at a scenic surfing hotspot in Sri Lanka say they feel safe and will remain there despite warnings from the Israeli government to leave immediately due to the threat of a possible terrorist attack.
Israel’s National Security Council on Wednesday called on Israelis to evacuate from tourist areas in the south of the Indian Ocean island nation, saying it was aware of a terrorist threat centered on tourist areas and beaches.
The agency did not specify the nature of the threat but said the warning concerned the Arugam Bay area – a popular haunt for Israelis – and beaches in the south and west of the country.
The US Embassy in Sri Lanka and the German Foreign Ministry also issued similar warnings, prompting Colombo to increase security and go on high alert.
Sri Lankan police have arrested three suspects for questioning in connection with an unspecified threat.
“We are working to ensure that all tourists remain safe and ensure their safety at all times,” police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa told Reuters.
Local officials said there were about 600-700 Israeli tourists at Arugam Bay from September to early October, but that number had dropped to just 20 when a security alert was issued this week, which came at the end of the tourist season.
By Friday, 17 people had moved out of the area and some of them had fled the country, leaving three Israelis in the south-eastern town of about 7,000 residents.
One of them, who has been coming to Sri Lanka since 1991 and is a long-time resident, said he felt safe and was expecting his wife and 17-year-old twin sons to join him within a week.
“I love coming here and my family loves coming here, and when my sons are here we surf about three to four hours every day,” he told Reuters on Friday after returning home from a morning surf. ” “I don’t think there is any serious security threat.”
The man, who declined to be identified, said two policemen arrived after the first security alert. Now, 16 security personnel, including police special forces, are deployed around his small, blue-coloured house in Arugam Bay.
Two other Israeli men, brothers, who were resting in their room at a nearby homestay, surrounded by about eight police and special forces personnel, also said they would stay there until the end of the month and then transfer to the nearby town of Ahangama. Will happen.
Sri Lanka has nevertheless tightened security, with memories of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings still fresh. Those attacks, which were attributed to Islamic State, targeted churches and three hotels, killing 267 people, including at least 45 foreign nationals.
unprecedented security
Checkpoints have been set up on main roads and bridges in Arugam Bay and the surrounding area and more than 500 police, military and special forces have been deployed.
Police stopped the vehicles and checked the identity cards of the passengers.
Israeli officials have warned of increased threats of attacks on Israelis outside their country since the start of the war in Gaza. Reports of anti-Semitic incidents have also increased in many parts of the world since war broke out in the Middle East following attacks on Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Residents of Arugam Bay dismissed social media speculation of tensions in the Muslim-majority town over Israeli presence in the wake of the Gaza war.
“I started renting rooms to foreigners last year and they are happy to live here because they are not afraid,” said Abubakar Rinosha, 41, owner of the Israeli Brothers’ Homestay.
Other residents said Israeli tourists are a major source of income, accounting for 70% of the town’s revenue.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
