Curfew clamped on Muslim town, two killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 April 2002, 18:29 GMT]
At least two Muslim youth were shot dead and several were wounded when Police opened fire Friday afternoon around 3 to quell clashes between Muslims and Sinhalese in the predominantly Muslim coastal town of Beruwela, about 55 km south of Colombo. The town has been placed under dusk to dawn curfew and the army has been called in, police sources said.

Several houses and building in the Muslim town were torched by marauding mobs, they added.

According to police sources a dispute between some Muslims and Sinhalese had snowballed into a riot. Fire engines were rushed from Colombo to Beruwala to control the fire in buildings and homes.

Police said that they had opened fire to bring the situation under control.