[NEWS] Sri Lanka imposes new curfew as mosques attacked – Loganspace AI

KINIYAMA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – Sri Lanka widened a curfew on Monday after assaults on mosques and Muslim-owned companies within the worst unrest since Easter bombings by Islamist militants and blocked Fb and WhatsApp to discontinue folks inciting violence.

The island nation has ramped up security as fears develop that minority Muslims amongst its population of twenty-two million would possibly perhaps perhaps face sectarian violence after Islamist bombers blew themselves up in four motels and three church buildings, killing more than 250 folks.

Plenty of mosques and Muslim houses were broken in an attack overnight within the western district of Kurunegala, the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka and residents said.

Police arrested a bunch of males for the assaults however folks within the mostly Buddhist district then demanded their free up, protection pressure spokesman Sumith Atapattu said.

“To govern the dispute, a police curfew became imposed within the middle of the evening,” he said. Later on Monday, authorities extended the curfew to more villages in Kurunegala district to revive account for.

Final month’s bombings claimed by Islamic Converse absorb vexed the island nation of twenty-two million folks, more than 70 percent of whom are Sinhalese Buddhists and the relaxation Muslims, Hindus and Christians.

Since the bombings, Muslim groups insist they’ve dozens of complaints about folks being careworn.

There became glass in every single set at the Abrar mosque within the Muslim-majority metropolis of Kiniyama that became attacked overnight. The total dwelling windows and doors of the comfy-pink constructing were smashed and copies of the Quran were thrown onto the floor.

Seven bikes parked outdoors were broken.

A mosque legit said the assaults were brought about when loads of folks, in conjunction with some Buddhist monks, demanded a search of the primary constructing after squaddies had inspected a 105-acre (43-hectare) pond nearby.

“When Muslims tried to discontinue the attack, we were asked by police to switch internal,” the legit said.

Authorities imposed a transient ban on social media networks and messaging apps after a clash in yet every other half of the nation became traced to a dispute on Fb.

Plenty of dozen folks threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man became beaten within the Christian-majority metropolis of Chilaw on the west flee on Sunday within the dispute that started on Fb, police sources and residents instructed Reuters.

Authorities said they arrested the creator of a Fb post, identified as 38-yr-frail Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment “1 day u will mumble” folks said became interpreted as threatening violence.

“Social media blocked again as a transient measure to set peace within the nation,” Nalaka Kaluwewa, director regular of the authorities files department, instructed Reuters on Monday.

On Twitter, Sri Lanka’s leading cell phone operator, Dialog Axiata Plc, said it had also got instructions to block the apps Viber, IMO, Snapchat, Instagram and Youtube except additional brand.