INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The last of the Israelis left in a scenic surfing hotspot in Sri Lanka said they felt safe and would stay put despite a warning from the
Israelis on Wednesday to get out of tourist areas in the south of the Indian Ocean island nation, saying it had information about a
terrorist threat focused on tourist areas and beaches.The agency did not specify the nature of the threat but said the warning pertained to
German foreign ministry also followed with similar warnings, prompting Colombo to step up security and go on high alert.Sri Lankan police
through September to early October in Arugam Bay, local authorities said, but that number had dwindled to just 20 when the security warning
was issued this week which came at the tailend of the tourist season.
By Friday, 17 had moved out of the area with some of them flying
out of the country, leaving behind three Israelis in the south-eastern town of about 7,000 residents.One of them, who has been coming to Sri
told Reuters on Friday after returning home from his morning surfing
Now, there are 16 security personnel, including police special forces, stationed around his small, blue-painted house in Arugam Bay.Two
other Israeli men, brothers who were lounging in their room at a nearby homestay, surrounded by about eight police and special forces
personnel, also said they would remain until the end of the month and then relocate to nearby Ahangama town.Sri Lanka has nevertheless
beefed up security, with the memory of Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 still fresh
Those attacks blamed on Islamic State targeted churches and three hotels, killing 267 people, including at least 45 foreign
nationals.Unprecedented securityCheckpoints have sprung up on the main roads and bridges in Arugam Bay and the surrounding area, and as many
as 500 police, military and special forces were deployed.Police stopped vehicles and checked identification cards of passengers.Israeli
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct
7, 2023.Arugam Bay residents dismissed social media speculation of tensions in the Muslim-majority town over the presence of Israelis in the
Abubakar Rinosha, 41, who owns the homestay of the Israeli brothers.Other residents said Israeli tourists are a major source of income,
