MEA issues advisory: Avoid ‘non-essential’ travel to Sri Lanka

The centre has issued a travel advisory asking Indian nationals to avoid any ‘non-essential travel to Sri Lanka, where the situation still continues to remain tense after the series of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in the advisory that anybody who intends to undertake emergency travels can contact the High Commission of India in Colombo, the Assistant High Commission in Kandy as well as Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna for any assistance. The advisory also mentioned that the helpline numbers of Indian High Commission also available on the mission’s website.
The advisory further stated that the Government of Sri Lanka in the aftermath of terror attacks has beefed up security measures in the country. A nation-wide emergency including night time curfew is in place at present, which might also likely affect travel within Sri Lanka.
As per the statement by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry, the number of foreign nationals who have been identified as killed remains at 40. The Islamic State has taken responsibility if the attacks, however, the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) for the attacks. Nine suicide bombers carried out the series of attacks that left three churches and three luxury hotels devastated on the Easter Sunday, which killed over 250 people.