Security agencies checking data of Sri Lankan tourists: officials

Security agencies are examining data of all tourists from Sri Lanka who visited India in last six months after the island nation's Army chief claimed that some terrorists involved in the April 21 serial bombing had visited the country, officials said Sunday.

Information is also being sought for those tourists from Sri Lanka who had visited Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Bengaluru.

A detailed analysis of the tourists who visited India became a necessity after the Sri Lankan army chief reportedly claimed that the terrorists who carried out attacks in churches and hotels had visited Kerala, Kashmir and Bengaluru for training and also establishing links with terror groups operating in these areas, a security official said.

However, analysis of the Sri Lankan tourists was carried out by security agencies suo motto based on the statement of the Sri Lankan Army chief as no information has been shared by the authorities of that country yet.

As per the security officials, as many as 20,000 foreign tourists have visited Kashmir in the last six months. Most of these tourists were from Malaysia and Thailand and only about 25 Sri Lankans visited the Kashmir valley during this period.

A thorough background check of these Sri Lankan nationals was being done, the official said.

In 2010, five young men from Kerala were identified for having links with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group. All of them were killed in Kashmir subsequently, another official said.

According to the data available with the Home Ministry, as many as 130 Indians have either travelled to Syria or have been identified for having links with the dreaded terror group ISIS.

Some of them have been brought back or have been booked in various cases, the official said.

At least 257 people, including foreigners, were killed and 500 others injured on Easter Sunday on April 21 when multiple bombs exploded in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.