Chennai-Colombo flight searched at Sri Lanka airport after intel on Lashkar operatives

Authorities at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) thoroughly screened a Sri Lankan Airlines Chennai- Colombo flight following an intelligence input from India regarding the potential presence of five to six suspected terrorists.

Earlier, security was beefed up at Chennai Airport after authorities received an email claiming that the Lashkar operatives were on board a SriLankan Airlines flight.

This email was received when the flight had already departed for Colombo.

The aircraft was thoroughly checked and no suspicious individual was found. It was later cleared for further operations.

In an official statement, Sri Lankan Airlines said that Flight UL 122, operated by aircraft 4R-ALS, was thoroughly checked by security officials upon landing in Sri Lanka’s Colombo.

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“SriLankan Airlines wishes to inform the public that Flight UL 122, operated by aircraft 4R-ALS, which arrived in Colombo from Chennai at 11:59 hrs today (3 May), was subjected to a comprehensive security search upon arrival," the statement read.

“This was carried out in coordination with local authorities following an alert from the Chennai Area Control Centre regarding a suspect wanted in India who was believed to be on board," it added.

“The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority, and we strive to ensure that the highest standards of safety are consistently maintained," it read.

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On April 22nd, terrorists opened fire in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of 26 people. Most of the victims were tourists, making it the deadliest attack in the area since Article 370 was removed in 2019. A group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned organisation based in Pakistan, said they were responsible for the attack. However, days later, the group said it had nothing to do with the attack and one of its digital platforms was hacked earlier.

The attack has led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, with New Delhi having taken several punitive measures to impose cost on Islamabad. There are also fears that India may take a military action against its arch-rival neighbour.