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full screen A police officer on duty outside a restaurant in Arugam Bay on Wednesday. Photo: Wasantha Chandrapala/AP/TT
Police in Sri Lanka have increased security at a popular beach for surfers and other tourists. Sweden’s Foreign Ministry urges caution in the area around Arugam Bay.
The move comes after the US embassy in the country warned its citizens to stay around Arugam Bay as it received “credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist spots” in the area.
The warning is also directed specifically at Israeli visitors, and Israel urges all citizens to leave Arugam Bay and other coastal areas in southern and western Sri Lanka, writes the AP news agency.
Several countries have relayed the US warning to their citizens, including Norway and Denmark.
On its website, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges Swedes “to increase vigilance and caution and to follow the instructions of local authorities. Swedes are also urged to carefully follow the development of events and reporting in the media”.
The local police state that, among other things, roadblocks have been set up in several places. At the same time, a Jewish center has received increased patronage.
The country’s tourism industry continues to suffer from reduced revenue following the Islamic State’s terrorist attacks during the 2019 Easter weekend, when more than 250 people were killed in attacks on churches and hotels. Since then, no major attacks have occurred in the island nation.
A large majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist, but in Arugam Bay a majority are Muslim.