2ND LEAD (Correction)

Unknown persons attempt to trigger communal clash in East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2018, 23:42 GMT]
As a wave of the anti-Muslim pogrom was spreading from Kandy to other areas in the Central Province, a group of unknown persons on Wednesday attacked a Tamil man in a predominantly Muslim area in Akkaraip-pattu in the district of Ampaa'rai in the Eastern Province. On Thursday, a small bomb was diffused at a border area between Tamil and Muslim villages near Aaraip-pattai (Aaraiyampathi) in Batticaloa district.

The SL Police located a threatening note with the letters "ISIS" attached to the bomb at Aaraiyampathi.

Tamil, as well as the Muslim grassroots activists, suspect a section of the Intelligence wing of the occupying SL military for the incident in Batticaloa. The SL military Intelligence sections were also spreading rumours to incite violence, they said.

Meanwhile, the pogrom in the Central Province has spread to Matale. Sinhala mobs were continuing to attack the shops and vehicles of the Muslims during the night time despite the emergency and curfew imposed by the authorities.

There were also allegations that some Sinhala soldiers of the SL Army and a group of Sinhala policemen as joining the mob in attacking the properties of the Muslims.

The SL authorities had to bring in SL Navy personnel to bring the situation under control at some places where SL Army and police failed to execute their duties.

Muslim leaders, including those collaborating with the SL regime, have been demanding immediate action from the SL State to bring the situation under control without further delay and arrest the mobs.

The SL authorities have imposed strict censorship in addition to limiting cellular network and access to social media networks.

Exact casualty figures are yet to emerge.

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