Sri Lanka boosts security after anti-Muslim attack
Hardliners from Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority keep up attacks on ethnic, religious minorities
Elite police commandos patrolled a suburb of the Sri Lankan capital on Friday after hundreds of rampaging Buddhist hardliners torched a Muslim-owned business in the latest in a series of mob attacks.
At least three people were wounded when mobs from the ethnic Sinhalese majority stoned and later set fire to a clothing store in Pepiliyana on Thursday night, police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena said.
“We have deployed extra units of STF (Special Task Force commandos) and police to guard the area,” Siriwardena told reporters. “The situation was brought under control within a few hours.”
We have deployed extra units of STF (Special Task Force commandos) and police to guard the area. The situation was brought under control within a few hours
No arrests had been made, Siriwardena said.
The authorities have not declared a motive for the attack, but official sources said it appeared to be part of the ongoing targeting of minority Muslim businesses by a group of Sinhala-Buddhist hardliners.
The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, an umbrella organisation of Muslim groups, said tensions had been heightened by Thursday’s attack.
“It has created a fear psychosis among the Muslims,” council president NM Ameen told reporters. “We know a majority of the (Buddhist) people do not support this type of activity.”
