Swedes are warned after a terror alert

 

Sri Lanka
Terror warning in Sri Lanka - Swedes urged to "vigilance"

Wayne Seretis

Updated 16.34 | Published 07.09

Sri Lankan police in Arugam Bay. Photo: Wasantha Chandrapala/AP

Both the US and Israel are warning of an imminent terrorist attack in the tourist paradise of Sri Lanka.

According to the television channel N12, Israel is going so far as to call on its citizens to fully evacuate the east, south and west coasts.

Now the Swedish Foreign Ministry is also issuing a warning.

"In light of this, Swedes are urged to be more vigilant and careful," writes the Foreign Ministry.

- We are in contact with the 33 Swedish guests we have in Sri Lanka today, says Claes Pellvik, communications manager at Ving.

The US Embassy in Sri Lanka has received what it considers to be credible information about a planned terrorist attack against tourists. According to the Times of  Israel, the terrorist threat is aimed at Israeli citizens.

The American warning mainly applies to the Arugam Bay area in eastern Sri Lanka, where there is, among other things, a luxury resort. According to the N12 TV channel, Israeli authorities on Wednesday urged their citizens to "immediately" evacuate the eastern, southern and western coasts of Sri Lanka.

Claes Pellvik, communications manager at Ving. Photo: Matina Tsogas

Highest threat level

The channel writes that the terror threat level is at maximum 4, and that the safest place is the capital Colombo where there are plenty of security forces.

On Wednesday, the Swedish Foreign Ministry also issued changed information to Swedes who are in Sri Lanka.

“The United States has informed its citizens of a threat to the area around Arugam Bay. Due to this, Swedes are urged to be more vigilant and careful and to follow the instructions of local authorities. Swedes are also urged to carefully follow the development of events and reporting in the media," writes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on swedenabroad.se.

Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka. Photo: Getty Images

Few Swedes on the island

Swedish charter companies operate mainly on the west coast, while the tour operator Surfakademin is located on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. The high season for Swedish travel to Sri Lanka only starts in November, and at the moment there are only a few Swedish charter travelers on the island.

- We are in contact with the 33 Swedish guests we have in Sri Lanka today, and inform if, for example, they have picked up on this in the news media. We have drawn attention to the fact that the US and Israeli MFA have come out with this today, but our principle is to follow the recommendations we receive from the Swedish MFA, which has seen no reason to make any changes in its recommendations, says Claes Pellvik, head of communications on Wing.