Sri Lankan police have said that precautionary measures have been put in place at Arugam Bay in the southern part of the island. Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa stated that the U.S. Embassy in Colombo issued a travel advisory for citizens visiting the Arugam Bay Area, following a rise in Israeli tourists and the occupation of a building there. In addition to the US embassy, diplomatic missions of the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Russia had also updated their travel advisory related to Sri Lanka.

The police spokesman added that the police had already set up roadblocks and had also conducted routine inspections of vehicles and the public. Certain social media users had posted regarding the establishment of a makeshift synagogue by Israeli tourists in Arugam Bay. The posts included images of the synagogue as well as the presence of police and STF for protection.

Meanwhile, the National Security Council of Israel has called on Israelis to leave Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay area and other beaches in the island’s south and west immediately, citing terrorism threats.