Resilience amid threats
As of May 2025, Sri Lanka continued to maintain a stable security environment, with no terrorist attacks reported in recent years. According to a report released on March 5, 2025, the country has been recognized for its low terrorism impact, ranking 100th out of 163 countries, with a score of zero in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, placing it among the safest nations globally in terms of terrorist threats.
On May 3, 2025, Sri Lankan authorities conducted a security sweep in Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport on a flight arriving from Chennai in India, after receiving a tip-off about a suspect linked to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India. The aircraft was thoroughly searched, and no arrests were made. Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan government reiterated its commitment to national security, emphasizing that it will not allow any faction to use the country's airspace or territory to attack another nation.
Six terrorists were arrested in five separate incidents in 2024, including:
November 30: A British Tamil citizen was arrested on arrival at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport, for suspected links with fundraising for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
June 15: An accomplice linked with four suspected Islamic State (IS) operatives arrested in India, was arrested during an operation conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) near the Orugodawatta bridge at Wellampitiya in the Colombo District of the Western Province.
May 31: The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police arrested a wanted suspect, Osman Pushparaja Gerard, in a joint operation conducted in Colombo City. Gerard was suspected to have coordinated the movement of four suspected IS operatives from Sri Lanka to India.
May 29: The Sri Lankan Police arrested two suspected IS operatives in the Bangadeniya area of Chilaw City in the Puttalam District of the North Western Province.
May 22: One terrorism suspect, with close connections to the four IS terror affiliates of Sri Lankan origin who were arrested at the Ahmedabad International Airport in India, was arrested by the TID in the Maligawatta Police Division of Colombo.
In October 2024, Arugam Bay, a popular tourist destination, faced a significant terrorist threat directed against Israeli tourists. Authorities linked the threat to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, suggesting it originated from Iran as a form of "revenge" against Israel. Three suspects, all Sri Lankan nationals, were arrested on October 24, 2024, in this connection.
On June 3, 2024, in a gazette issued by Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defence, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) froze all funds, financial assets, and economic resources belonging to 15 groups and 210 individuals allegedly involved in terrorist and extremist activities. The designated groups include – the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), World Tamil Movement (WTM), Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF), Headquarters Group (HQ Group), National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ), Jama’athe Milla’athe Ibrahim, Willayath As Seylani, National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), Darul Adhar Ath’thabawiyya, Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM), and Save the Pearls.
Before that in 2021, 18 organizations and 577 individuals had been blacklisted in the country for financing terrorism under the United Nations Regulation No. 1 of 2012, according to the Defence Ministry. Through an Extraordinary Gazette Notification dated August 1, 2022, the Ministry of Defence removed six organisations and 316 individuals from the 2021 list, but added three new organisations and 55 new individuals to the list. Thus, as on August 1, 2022, at least 15 organizations and 361 individuals were blacklisted in the country. The organisations that were de-listed in the August 1, 2022, Notification included six international Tamil organizations – the Australian Tamil Congress, the Global Tamil Forum, the World Tamil Coordination Committee, the Tamil Eelam People's Congress, the Canadian Tamil Congress and the British Tamil Forum. Of the 15 existing groups in the list, five are Islamist groups, including the NTJ, Jama'athe Milla' athe Ibrahim, Willayath As Seylani, Darul Adhar alias Jamiul Adhar Mosque, Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement and Save the Pearls.
According to the United States (US) Department of State 2023 Country Reports on Terrorism, Sri Lanka reported no terrorist incidents in 2023, but focused on strengthening counterterrorism (CT) frameworks and financial regulations. Sri Lanka joined key international CT initiatives, including the Combined Maritime Forces and Operation Prosperity Guardian. Sri Lanka assumed the 2023 chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, which lists CT as a key priority. While the LTTE remains dismantled, concerns persist over the Tamil diaspora, as well as ideologies and extremism within Muslim communities. Judicial proceedings for the 2019 Easter attacks continued, with 24 suspects on trial.
On July 26, 2024, the European Union (EU) extended its ban on the LTTE for an additional six months. The EU’s extension of the LTTE ban affirmed continued international support for Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism framework.
Sri Lanka faces a growing challenge as a hub for narcotics trafficking. According to a January 6, 2025, report, the gross street value of narcotics and prescription drugs seized in operations conducted by the Sri Lankan Navy in 2024 was valued at over 28.158 billion Sri Lankan Rupee (SLR). This included more than 622 kilograms of heroin worth over SLR 15.554 billion in street value; more than 1,211 kilograms of Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE), worth over SLR 11.508 billion; more than 1,752 kilograms of Kerala cannabis worth over SLR 700 million; more than 119 kilograms of local cannabis, worth over SLR 23 million; and 1,179,746 units of prescription drugs, worth over SLR 373 million in the street.
The appointment of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as President and Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister in 2024 marked a significant political shift in Sri Lanka, reflecting a strong public mandate for reform and accountability. Both leaders are prominent figures from the National People's Power (NPP), a progressive alliance known for its anti-corruption stance, grassroots engagement, and focus on social justice. Economically, the administration faces a challenging environment. While committed to renegotiating foreign debt and ensuring social welfare-oriented recovery, the leadership is under pressure to balance economic reforms with the expectations of a struggling populace. The government's early moves toward inclusive policymaking and increased civic participation have been met with cautious optimism, both locally and internationally.
Overall, the political situation under Dissanayake and Amarasuriya is one of hopeful transformation, but success hinges on their ability to deliver results, manage economic pressures, and maintain stability while navigating entrenched political and institutional resistance.
While Sri Lanka has made notable strides in counterterrorism – evident in the absence of terrorism-linked fatalities in 2024 and its low ranking on the Global Terrorism Index – the nation remains vigilant against residual and emerging threats. In 2024, Sri Lanka’s security and political environments were marked by both resilience and complexity. Arrests linked to both IS-affiliated operatives and suspected LTTE sympathizers underscore the ongoing risk posed by extremist elements, both domestic and transnational. The government’s proactive measures – ranging from freezing assets of extremist-linked individuals and organizations to strengthening counter-terrorism efforts – demonstrated its continued commitment to national security. However, underlying ethnic and religious tensions, alongside regional geopolitical currents, necessitate sustained and balanced counterterrorism efforts to preserve national stability.
