Police enforce curfew in Mutur

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 October 2001, 13:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces declared unofficial curfew in Mutur, south of Trincomalee from 5 p.m. Sunday evening following tension in the eastern town over the death of two Muslim youth in cross fire Friday during a clash between the Liberation Tigers and the army and Police. Tamils in Mutur have sought asylum in the town’s Methodist Church and St. Anthony’s church and a Tamil orphanage fearing reprisals by Muslims. Meanwhile, four Muslims, including a 2 year old, were found murdered near the Navaladi Sri Lanka army camp, 34 kilometres north of Batticaloa.

The murdered civilians are from a Muslim settlement at the Navaladi junction on the Batticaloa-Polannaruwa highway.

The tension in Mutur was exacerbated after two Tamil youth were assaulted by Muslims yesterday in Aalaiyadichenai, a suburb of Mutur town. A Muslim youth was killed in retaliation Sunday morning.