Sri Lanka imposes nationwide curfew after anti-Muslim attacks

One person was killed in Sri Lanka on Monday as police fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and Muslim-owned shops and imposed a curfew after the worst outbreak of sectarian violence since the Easter bombings by Islamist militants.

Authorities also temporarily blocked social media networks and messaging apps and imposed a nationwide curfew.

The murder of over 250 people by suicide bombers at three churches and three luxury hotels was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The riots, apparently sparked by a row on Facebook, began on Sunday as mobs attacked three mosques and many Muslim-owned businesses in Chilaw, some 40km north of capital Colombo, before the military stepped in.

Nalaka Kaluwewa, the chief of the Information Department said the ban on social media was intended "to prevent misinformation from being circulated and also to prevent spreading of information that would harm communal harmony."

Police said a curfew would be enforced until further notice in the country's North Western region, and until Tuesday morning in the rest of the nation.

The violence in Chilaw spread to the adjoining Buddhist-majority Kurunegala district, where mobs were heard shouting “we will kill you,” while attacking Muslim businesses and homes.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement that acts of sabotage were hampering an investigation by security forces and warned that “if the racism rises up ... and peace is disturbed the country will be destabilised”.

On Sunday night, a petrol bomb was thrown into a mosque while worshipers were leaving after their Ramadan night prayers in Koslanda, also in the Kurunegala district.

The aftermath of the attacks have stirred sectarian tensions in the Buddhist-majority country. Local residents accused Buddhist extremists of being behind some of the violence.

Military and special forces were deployed on Monday evening to guard mosques in the Kurunegala district, while police held special meetings with Muslim civil communities and mosque authorities to discuss security strategies.

Mosques around the country have been under heavy guard by the military since the Easter bombing attacks. Children under 13 and older people have been asked not to attend prayers, funeral or wedding services in case of emergency evacuations or bombings.