Sri Lanka’s acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Priyantha Weerasooriya, stated that intelligence operations have been on high alert regarding potential threats linked to the Middle East conflict. He revealed that the first intelligence information concerning a possible attack targeting foreigners was received on October 7th.
He further emphasized that there are currently no domestic security concerns in Sri Lanka, adding that necessary precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of foreign nationals and sensitive locations. Weerasooriya mentioned that discussions were held under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake regarding this potential threat and that security measures have been implemented accordingly.
The acting IGP made these remarks during a media briefing held today (23) at the Polonnaruwa Police Headquarters.
Here are key points from his statement:
- Intelligence services have been closely monitoring the situation since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, as there were concerns about possible threats to Sri Lanka.
- On October 7th, the authorities received intelligence suggesting that foreign nationals might be targeted for an attack.
- A special security plan was launched from October 22nd onwards, focusing on safeguarding foreign nationals, religious sites, and critical locations.
- As of this morning, a meeting of the Security Council was convened, and it was confirmed that the necessary security measures had been taken, and foreign embassies were notified.
- There are no reports of any domestic individuals being targeted or any significant threats detected.
- Security operations, including searches and inspections, are ongoing, but no suspicious individuals or objects have been found.
- The acting IGP reassured that there is no national security threat in Sri Lanka, and security at airports and entry points has been enhanced.