A Muslim man was slashed to death during anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka, reports Agence France Presse.
The 45 year old man died after being admitted to hospital in Puttalam, a police official told press.
This marks the first death in a wave of violent backlash against the Muslim community, that saw a social media ban and island wide curfew imposed.
Sri Lanka’s North Western province descended into unbridled violence today, as Sinhalese mobs attacked several mosques, set ablaze shops and stoned Muslim homes in the Kurungela District.
Initially calling for a curfew in six villages in the district, police imposed an island-wide curfew as the violence spread.
Locals reported police and security forces failing to act as mobs moved through villages in anti-Muslim violence. The government blocked social media platforms including WhatsApp and Facebook as the violence spread.
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