Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities Monday lifted an overnight curfew in the western coastal town of Negombo where violence erupted between groups of people over the weekend, days after the Easter bombings by Islamist extremists that killed more than 250 people in the island nation. The curfew was imposed on Sunday after a group of miscreants carrying swords attacked some people travelling on a three-wheeler in Porathota area of the town. The vehicle was set on fire.
Several people were injured in clashes in Negombo, where St Sebastian’s Church was targeted in the Easter attacks carried out by suicide bombers who had pledged support for the ISIS. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said on Monday that Negombo was calm and curfew had ended at 7 am. The government also blocked some social media sites overnight, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in order to control the situation. The block was lifted early Monday. The police said an argument had instigated the clash and it was escalated after a drunken man’s intervention. The curfew was imposed in the town as a precaution. Two people have been arrested in connection with the clashes.