Colombo: Post the suicide bombing attacks of Sri Lanka targeting Churches and hotels, there were reports of clashes between Christians thrashing Muslims came on Sunday. Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church appealed for calm and an alcohol ban on Monday after clashes.
Hundreds of security forces entered Negombo to impose a curfew after dozens of Muslim-owned shops, homes and vehicles were assaulted.
Appealing to maintain peace, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, said, “I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture. Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations between all the communities of Sri Lanka.”
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Father Edmund Tilakaratne informed that the Cardinal paid his visit to Negombo and talked with clerics of mosque and appealed to the government to shut bars in the Catholic-dominated to town known as ‘Little Rome’.
Negombo suffered the highest death tolls during the Easter attacks that were claimed by the ISIS. As per police officials, they have arrested two men after the latest clashes and one more suspect has been identified through CCTV footage.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement that the government will compensate those who lost property in the night-time clashes.