Sri Lanka deploys troops in popular surfing town after threat warnings

Sri Lanka deployed troops and accrued constabulary patrols astir a Jewish organization halfway successful a celebrated surfing municipality connected Wednesday aft nan U.S. embassy warned American citizens of a imaginable onslaught connected celebrated tourer sites successful nan area.

The stepped-up information and informing came aft societal media posts called for a boycott of Israeli-owned businesses successful eastbound Arugam Bay.

"The accusation was that a spot called 'Chabad House' tally by Israelis could beryllium a target and we person taken measures to fortify security," said constabulary spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa.

He said location had precocious been tensions betwixt nan Jewish visitors visiting Chabad House and nan bay's Muslim-majority population.

The service and nan navy on pinch constabulary commandos were deployed successful nan area to measurement up patrols and man roadblocks, he said.

A constabulary commando stands defender successful beforehand of a edifice successful Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. Wasantha Chandrapala / AP

Protests by section Muslim groups against Israel's fighting of Iran-backed Hamas successful Gaza and Hezbollah successful Lebanon person drawn support from nan wider organization successful nan predominantly Buddhist South Asian nation.

Israelis accounted for little than 1.5% of nan 1.5 cardinal visitors who visited nan land successful nan first 9 months of this twelvemonth — aliases astir 20,000 group altogether.

But Arugam Bay, a hotspot for surfing astir 250 miles eastbound of Colombo by road, is simply a celebrated destination for Israeli tourists.

In a uncommon announcement of an imminent threat, nan U.S. embassy successful Colombo said Wednesday that it had "received reliable accusation informing of an onslaught targeting celebrated tourer locations" successful eastbound Arugam Bay.

"Due to nan superior consequence posed by this threat, nan Embassy imposed a recreation regularisation connected Embassy unit for Arugam Bay effective instantly and until further notice," nan embassy said, adding that "U.S. citizens are powerfully urged to debar nan Arugam Bay area."

Britain and Canada shared nan U.S. informing connected their ain websites, while nan Russian embassy advised its nationals to debar crowded places while visiting nan island.

Israel's National Security Council meantime "raised nan recreation alert level for Sri Lanka owed to reliable coercion threats astatine nan tourer and coastal areas."

Israel urged its citizens successful Arugam Bay and different confederate and occidental coastal areas to "leave nan state aliases astatine slightest to nan superior Colombo, wherever location is simply a precocious beingness of section information forces." The Level 4 recreation alert included nan Sri Lankan cities Ahangame, Galle, Hikkaduwa and Weligama. 

Along pinch Arugum Bay and nan different coastal regions, Israel's National Security Council raised nan recreation consequence for nan remainder of Sri Lanka to Level 3. The National Security Council ranks recreation warnings connected a standard of 1 to 4, pinch warnings assigned Level 4 indicating a "high threat level" and warnings assigned Level 3 indicating a "moderate threat." A spot fixed nan second ranking intends Israeli information recommends avoiding unnecessary recreation to nan destination.

"In addition, nan NSC stresses that Israelis successful Sri Lanka must workout accrued precaution," nan recreation announcement said. It urged citizens presently successful Sri Lanka to "avoid openly exhibiting thing that could place you arsenic Israeli, specified arsenic t-shirts pinch Hebrew writing, aliases immoderate awesome that discloses your belief aliases nationality." 

Security officials besides cautioned against "gatherings of Israeli citizens successful nationalist places wherever location is nary security."

New hotline

There person been nary attacks successful Sri Lanka since nan 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people, including 45 overseas nationals.

The coordinated onslaught against 3 luxury hotels and 3 churches was blamed connected a section jihadist group that pledged allegiance to nan Islamic State group.

Tourism numbers fell sharply afterward, and took different deed during a 2022 economical meltdown that precipitated wide civilian unrest.

But overseas visitant numbers person picked up aft an International Monetary Fund bailout past twelvemonth helped stabilize nan economy.

Following nan U.S. embassy warning, constabulary said they were unveiling a caller information scheme to protect visitors island-wide.

"In position of nan warfare business successful nan Middle East and Eastern Europe, nan police, together pinch intelligence agencies, are moving connected a scheme to protect visitors and resorts," said a connection issued by nan Sri Lanka Police.

It did not springiness details, but said a hotline had been established for visitors to alert authorities of immoderate information concerns.

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• Sri Lanka
• Israel