Israeli Man Narrowly Escapes Kidnapping Attempt in Sri Lanka 

A young Israeli tourist narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt in Sri Lanka after jumping from a moving tuk-tuk when the driver tried to take him to an isolated area, Israeli media reported.

Matityahu Korman, a Haredi man from Jerusalem, was traveling in a tuk-tuk on Sunday after visiting a Chabad House when the driver’s behavior turned suspicious. Initially, the driver offered to take Korman to a scenic spot with elephants, stopping at a picturesque location where Korman met other tourists. But after returning to the vehicle, the driver’s demeanor changed. “He told me not to talk to other drivers, which should’ve been a red flag,” Korman told Ynet. The driver then veered into a side alley, claiming it led to another attraction. “There was no one around, no tourists, just an empty field,” Korman said.

When Korman demanded to return to the Chabad House, the driver allegedly tried to snatch his passport and wallet, which contained credit cards and cash, and extorted $100. Threatening Korman with curses and warnings not to alert authorities, the driver bypassed a military checkpoint, taking a side road. Fearing for his life, Korman leapt from the open-sided tuk-tuk. “I thought, ‘If he doesn’t stop, this ends with me dead in some remote place,’” he said. The jump left him with cuts and bruises on his hands and legs, but soldiers at the nearby checkpoint spotted him and came to his aid.

The incident follows heightened security alerts in Sri Lanka, where authorities recently arrested three suspects, including an Iraqi citizen, for allegedly planning terror attacks against Israeli tourists in the popular Arugam Bay area, according to Ynet and Walla News. Israel’s National Security Council has issued a level-4 travel warning, urging Israelis to leave tourist zones immediately due to credible threats from an Iran-backed terror cell, per Kan News. Over 11,000 Israelis have visited Sri Lanka in 2025, drawn by its beaches and surfing, Mako reported.

Sri Lankan police have increased security around Israeli-owned businesses and tourist sites, with checkpoints and patrols intensified after intelligence from Indian agencies warned of an imminent attack, Israel Hayom noted. The incident with Korman, while not explicitly linked to the terror plot, has heightened fears among Israelis in the region.