Officials at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport initiated a major security sweep on Saturday afternoon after India issued an alert about six suspects involved in the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
SriLankan Airlines confirmed that its flight UL122, which landed in Colombo from Chennai at 11:59 am, was searched thoroughly. The move followed after Indian authorities had alerted Sri Lankan authorities that six people believed to be connected to the Jammu and Kashmir attack could have taken the flight.
“A tip-off to Indian authorities had informed us that six suspects related to the Pahalgam attack were aboard a SriLankan Airlines flight bound for Colombo,” said a Sri Lanka Police spokesman.
Multi-Agency Operation Nets No Arrests
Local reports verified that the Sri Lanka Police, Sri Lanka Air Force, and airport security teams jointly undertook the operation. Nevertheless, upon careful screening, no suspects were detected aboard or at the airport.
SriLankan Airlines further clarified that they also received the warning from the Chennai Area Control Centre. “The aircraft was minutely examined once it landed at Colombo, after which it was cleared to carry out operations again,” according to an official release by the airline.
Pahalgam Terror Attack and Aftermath
The search operation in Colombo comes after the fatal terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, where at least 26 civilians, including a Nepali tourist and a local pony guide, were killed. The attackers are believed to have connections with Pakistan-based terror groups.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also taken up the case and is investigating the attack, which has increased hostilities between India and Pakistan.
India’s Diplomatic and Economic Measures Against Pakistan
After the attack, India has imposed a series of powerful diplomatic and economic measures on Pakistan. It put on hold the Indus Waters Treaty, under which it supplies water from the Indus river system to Pakistan—denying Pakistan a considerable source of water.
Also, India has prohibited all imports and arrivals from Pakistan and banned Pakistani vessels from mooring at Indian ports. Pakistani nationals have been given back visas, and Pakistani citizens who were present in India have been directed to depart India by Tuesday.
Pakistan’s Retaliatory Threats
In retaliation, Pakistan has threatened to suspend all bilateral arrangements with India, including the Simla Agreement. The Wagah-Attari border crossing has also been closed, and diplomatic relations between the two nations have been further reduced.
