At least one person has died after anti-Muslim rioting in Sri Lanka continued for a second day.
Police officers fired tear gas at mobs attacking mosques and Muslim owned shops on Monday, after sectarian violence broke out following the Easter Sunday attacks in which more than 250 people were killed.
A 42-year-old Muslim man identified locally as Mohamed Ameer Mohamed Sally died of stab wounds at the Marawila hospital, an officer said.
“There are hundreds of rioters, police and army are just watching,” an anonymous resident of the predominantly Muslim Kottampitiya area said.
“They have burnt our mosques and smashed many shops owned by Muslims.
“When we try to come out of our house, police tell us to stay inside.”
The Abrar mosque in the town of Kiniyama was attacked overnight, with glass left strewn on the floor along with copies of the Quran.
A 34-year-old witness told Reuters that a mob of 1,300 people had approached the mosque on Sunday, armed with swords and rods.
He said the Muslims hidden inside the mosque asked local police officers for help.
Officers told the worshippers that the people wanted to inspect the mosque for weapons.
“They destroyed and burned Qurans, broke every glass window and door and urinated on the water storage which Muslims used to take ablution,” the witness said.
The Sri Lankan police has imposed a nationwide curfew from 9pm on Monday to 4am on Tuesday.
Authorities have also banned social media networks and messaging apps on a temporary basis after a sectarian clash was traced to a dispute on Facebook.
Muslims are a minority in Sri Lanka and make up 10 per cent of the population, who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists.
Additional reporting by agencies
