The Sri Lankan security forces have stepped up their presence outside a Buddhist centre in Jaffna, after stones were reportedly thrown at an enclosure around a Buddha statue earlier.
The glass enclosure of a Buddha statue at the Sri Nagavihara international Buddhist centre closest to Paruthithurai was found damaged on Tuesday morning.
While the glass enclosure was damaged, there was no harm caused to the statue inside.
The increase in military presence, comes as securitisation in the Tamil homeland has stepped up in recent months. Sri Lanka's president Gotabaya Rajapaksa also announced a new military unit and presidential task force to defend 'archaeological' sites in the Eastern Province, stoking fears of further militarised Sinhalisation in the Tamil-speaking region.
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