A SriLankan Airlines flight from Chennai underwent a comprehensive security search at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport after a claim of the presence of five suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists on board, officials said.
Security measures were initiated after Chennai Airport authorities received a threat email claiming that five Lashkar operatives were on board a SriLankan Airlines flight, amid heightened vigilance in the country following the April 22 Pahalgam attacks.
The threat mail, classified as ‘non-specific’, was received by the Chief Security Officer at 11.05 am, which mentioned, “Five South Indian males on UL 122 (9.55am) are Lashkar operatives. Clean profile, well-trained, no suspicion”.
By the time the email was received, the flight had already departed, and the information was passed to Colombo Airport, where a thorough security screening was conducted, deboarding the passengers. However, no suspicious individuals or activities were found, as the message later turned out to be a hoax, officials added.
