A man stands in front of the Abbraar Masjid mosque after a mob attack in Kiniyama, Sri Lanka May 13, 2019. (REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte)
Colombo: Sri Lanka on Monday announced a nationwide six-hour night curfew after anti-Muslim riots spread to several districts just north of the capital Colombo, police said.
Three districts were brought under a curfew earlier in the day in response to mob attacks on several Muslim-owned businesses and mosques, in the latest fallout from the Easter Sunday bombings blamed on local jihadists.
The curfew was later extended across the island, police said in a statement.
Sri Lankan police fired warning shots and tear gas to disperse mobs attacking mosques and Muslim-owned businesses in several towns Monday.
Police and troops fought off hundreds of rioters in at least six towns in North-Western Province where a curfew was imposed, police said.
"Several shops have been attacked," a senior police officer told AFP. "When mobs tried to attack mosques, we fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse them."
The curfew started in the six towns but was extended across the province amid fears that violence could spread. There were no immediate reports of casualties or arrests.
"There is a strong political element to the riots today," the police officer said. "There are people trying to make political capital out of this situation."
Earlier, authorities banned Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms after overnight riots gripped several towns in the region including Chilaw.
