Colombo, May 3 — A SriLankan Airlines flight arriving from Chennai was searched at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport on Saturday after Indian aviation authorities alerted their counterparts about a possible suspect linked to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
The flight landed at 11:59 a.m., according to a statement issued by SriLankan Airlines, and underwent a full security check coordinated by local law enforcement and airport authorities.
“The search 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,” the airline said.
The aircraft was later declared safe and cleared for further operations.
A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan police confirmed the operation and said the alert had been taken seriously due to its connection to the April 22 terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, where 26 people — most of them tourists — were killed in a gun attack. Indian investigators have named five suspects, including three Pakistani nationals, in connection with the assault.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking two days after the incident, vowed swift and severe action.
“Those behind the Pahalgam attack — and those who conspired — will face consequences beyond their imagination,” Modi said at a public event on April 24.
The rhetoric escalated following a high-level meeting chaired by Modi on April 29, where he told military chiefs that India’s armed forces had “complete operational freedom” to determine how and when to respond, government sources said.
The incident shows the growing regional alertness in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, as Indian authorities continue to investigate possible cross-border links. Security protocols at airports and border points across South Asia remain on high alert.
