Colombo : Fresh violence erupted in Muslim neighbourhoods in Sri Lanka’s hilly central district on Thursday where communal clashes have destroyed shops and homes, on a day when President Maithripala Sirisena divested the law and order portfolio from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The communal violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in the Indian Ocean island nation has not subsided despite a state of emergency and a heavy deployment of troops in riot-hit Kandy district. The government has ordered internet blackout, blocking of social media websites including Facebook and instant messaging app Whatsapp, as social media to coordinate attacks.