ANKARA

Sri Lanka barred its citizens from traveling to Israel amid heightening tensions in the Middle East, following Tel Aviv’s ground operations in Lebanon, media reports said Wednesday.

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) advised individuals planning to travel to Israel to “temporarily” suspend those plans because of conflict in the region, according to English website News Wire.​​​​​​​

Additional General Manager for International Affairs at SLBFE, Gamini Senarath Yapa, urged Sri Lankan nationals to remain “vigilant of the evolving situation and to take necessary precautions.”

Yapa said,000 Sri Lankans are working in Israel, with 6,700 having migrated this year under agreements between the two countries.

Most are employed in the construction and agricultural sectors, while 5,000 are working in caregiving services.

There have been no reports of any Sri Lankans being affected by regional developments.

Around 7,600 Sri Lankans are employed in Lebanon.

​​​​​​​