NEW DELHI: A SriLankan Airlines Chennai–Colombo flight underwent a comprehensive security inspection upon its arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Saturday, following intelligence input from India regarding the possible presence of suspected terrorists linked to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Sources revealed that security was also heightened at Chennai Airport after authorities received an email claiming that Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives were on board a Colombo-bound SriLankan Airlines flight. This email was received after the flight had already departed for Colombo, they added.
According to sources, the aircraft was thoroughly checked, no suspicious individuals were found, and the airplane was subsequently cleared for further operations.
In an official statement, SriLankan Airlines confirmed that Flight UL 122, operated by aircraft 4R-ALS, was subjected to a comprehensive security search upon its arrival in Colombo.
“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 airline said. It added that the search was conducted 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.
“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,” the statement read.
On April 22, 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 the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The banned terror group The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), initially claimed responsibility for the attack. However, days later, the group retracted the claim, stating that one of its digital platforms had been hacked.
Since the Pahalgam attack, tensions have heightened between India and Pakistan, with New Delhi taking several punitive measures to impose costs on Islamabad. The possibility of Indian military action against its western neighbor is being widely speculated.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had, in its preliminary report, confirmed the involvement of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and the Pakistan Army in the attack.
They had also identified around 20 overground workers (OGWs) from the Kashmir Valley who allegedly provided logistical support to the attackers. These individuals are currently being interrogated.
