Sri Lanka reopens borders to international travelers after a two-month closure due to a threat of terrorism.
Sri Lanka reopened its land border with India on Friday, two weeks after an attack on a luxury hotel in the country claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 12 people.
The two-month closure of the land border was caused by a threat to the hotel in the resort town of Wanni – which was struck with mortar rounds – and other government buildings at the same area as an estimated 1,000 workers, according to news agencies.
The country’s northern neighbour also closed its land border with China and re-examined visa requirements for foreign tourists.
“The country has decided to reopen land and air routes in order to facilitate movement of travelers from the northern part of the island,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said the reopening of the border with India was linked to the closure of the land border with China and an assessment of the visa requirement for foreigners.
The closure of the land border was due to a threat that the hotel was targeted in a gun battle, with a group of suspected terrorists entering the country in the last two weeks.
The foreign ministry said it was also revising its visa requirements applicable to foreign tourists.
The threat came as a passenger plane from China’s capital, Beijing, was held over at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for inspection on suspicion that it was carrying Islamic State militants suspected of being on a flight from Russia’s second city of St Petersburg to Syria.
The IGI airport director, Abdul Sattar Jameel, said the plane was sent for inspection by the airport authorities and that there were no “irregularities in its operation”.
The airport director said the plane that took off at 00:34 GMT had passed through the IGI.
“Indian air traffic control held the plane that was flying from Beijing to the New Delhi airport and was trying to land for inspection,” a source said.
The Indian foreign office said that the plane was allowed to take off and that authorities are in talks with the airline.
“The country has started monitoring the aircraft of Chinese airlines to see if they are carrying terrorists or
