Sri Lankan police fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and shops owned by Muslims and imposed a nationwide curfew after the worst outbreak of violence since the bombings by militants on April 21.
The militants targeted churches and hotels, most of them in Colombo, killing more than 250 people in an attack claimed by ISIS, fuelling fears of a backlash against the island nation’s minority Muslims. Residents in Muslim parts of North Western Province said mobs had attacked mosques and damaged shops and businesses owned by Muslims for a second day.
On Monday, Sri Lankan police imposed a nationwide curfew until from 2100 hours to 0400 hours. Further, authorities also imposed a temporary ban on social media networks and messaging apps including WhatsApp after a clash in another part of the country was traced to a dispute on Facebook.
Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s 22 million people who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists.