The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a travel warning on Wednesday, advising U.S. citizens to exercise caution when visiting Arugam Bay, a well-known surfing resort on the island’s eastern coast. The embassy cited "credible information" regarding a potential attack targeting popular tourist locations in the area.

This rare alert follows social media calls for a boycott of Israeli-owned businesses in Arugam Bay. Protests led by local Muslim groups against Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon have garnered widespread support across Sri Lanka, a majority-Buddhist nation.

While Sri Lankan authorities have yet to comment, police have increased security measures around the area. There have been no reports of attacks in Sri Lanka since the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people, including 45 foreign nationals. That attack was attributed to a local jihadi group.

Tourism in Sri Lanka has been on the rebound following the country’s 2022 economic crisis, with 1.48 million visitors recorded so far this year.

BOB Post