Americans traveling to the islands of the Maldives must “exercise extra cautiondue to possible terrorist attacks, the US State Department says in its report latest safety research.
Let’s be clear. The Asian Islands are still considered fairly safe for US citizens to visit, still as advisory level is at level 2.
But the agency says terrorist groups can attack places visited by tourists with little or no warning.
Potential targets include airport and bus terminals, shopping centers, tourist sites and government buildings.
The Maldives consists of 1192 islands, of which only 203 are inhabited. It could be challenging for authorities to control them all, so a military response could take longer than necessary if an emergency arises, the advisory said.
The country has experienced more than 37 terrorist incidents in the past six yearsThis was reported by the South Asia Terrorism Portal.
In the summer of 2022, Alo Solih, Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change and Technology, was brutally stabbed by Mohammed Jameel while chanting some Quranic verses.
In 2021, former President Mohamed Nasheed was seriously injured when terrorists detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) outside his home. A further five people were injured, including an innocent British bystander.
Since 2019, the country has arrested almost a hundred terror suspects.
In 2022, it was proven that at least fourteen of these terrorists, associates of Islamic State, had planned to attack the Indian community in the Addu area as well as the National Police Academy. Their goal was to cause hundreds of deaths.
An effective police operation stopped the attack.
Given the data, Indian-Americans should be particularly aware of their surroundings when visiting the Maldives.
Last year, the US Treasury Department announced that it “designated key leaders and financial enablers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al Qaeda in the Maldives, including twenty ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Al Qaeda operatives. OFAC also designated 29 companies linked to the individuals sanctioned today, including leaders of Maldives-based terrorist-linked criminal gangs and associates of key ISIS-K recruiter Mohamad Ameen, who was designated by OFAC in 2019 . Several of the individuals listed today have also planned or carried out attacks targeting journalists and local authorities.”
Earlier this year, the country repatriated a group of 21 locals made up of widows and children of foreign terrorist fighters who had left the islands for the Syrian war. Authorities said they could face criminal charges.
Despite everything, the Maldives is not a battlefield; the ‘regular’ crime is actually quite low.
Here are some recommendations for Americans to travel safely to the Maldives, according to the US government.
- Stay away from demonstrations and crowds, especially in tourist hotspots.
- Monitor local media for the latest news and be mentally prepared to change your plans accordingly.
- As an American you must register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier for US authorities to locate you if something goes wrong.
