Sri Lanka arrests three suspected of plot to attack Israeli tourists

Israel urges citizens to leave over threat of attack in Arugam Bay area

Sri Lankan security forces have increased patrols in Arugam Bay due to a suspected terrorist plot. AP

Police in Sri Lanka have arrested three people on suspicion of planning to attack Israeli tourists, a government minister said on Thursday.

Minister of Public Security and Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath said three Sri Lankans had been taken into custody and were being interrogated.

He declined to give further details, saying it would hamper the investigation.

Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror newspaper reported that the police made the arrests after being alerted by Indian intelligence agencies about the risk of a terrorist attack on Israeli tourists in Arugam Bay, a popular surfing destination on the eastern coast of the island nation,

Mr Herath said the information received did not include specifics but warned that an “attempt will be made to create disturbances” at places where Israelis hold religious gatherings.

Police had said a Jewish community centre in Arugam Bay had provoked anger in the region's Muslim-majority population.

Israel’s National Security Council on Wednesday issued an advisory saying the travel alert for Arugam Bay and the coastal areas in south and west Sri Lanka had been raised to Level 4 – do not travel. “For those currently in these areas, we recommend leaving the country or at least travelling to the capital city Colombo, where there is a heavier presence of local security forces,” it said.

Mr Herath said there were 575 Israeli citizens in Sri Lanka.

The US embassy issued a security alert urging Americans to leave Arugam Bay, saying it had received “credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations” in the area. Britain, New Zealand, Russia, Canada and Australia issued similar warnings.

Sri Lankan police said security had been increased in Arugam Bay and that officials were on high alert. “This area is a popular spot for surfing and this has attracted a large number of Israeli tourists. We are working to ensure they remain safe,” police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said in a video statement.

The reported threat comes as Israeli continues its devastating war in Gaza which has sparked pro-Palestine protests around the world, including in Sri Lanka. Muslim groups in Arugam Bay have staged protests against the Gaza war as well as Israel's war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, police said.

The reported plot and subsequent travel advisories could set back Sri Lanka's efforts to boost tourism as it recovers from a severe financial crisis last year. The sector accounts for 10 per cent of GDP but has suffered following the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019 that killed 269 people, including at least 45 foreigners, and the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that halted global travel the following year.

According to government data, Sri Lanka received 1.5 million tourists, including 20,515 from Israel, in the first eight months of the year.