Lanka police reimposes curfew on 4 towns in north western region following communal violence

The Sri Lankan authorities on Monday reimposed a curfew, few hours after it was lifted, on four towns in the north western region following a communal violence in the area.

"Curfew was lifted at 6 a.m. this morning from Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola, Bingiriya and Dummalasuriya towns," a police official said.

"However, following a communal clash in the afternoon at Hettipola, the curfew was re-imposed with immediate effect till 4 a.m. tomorrow on the area and its neighbouring towns of Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya and Dummalasuriya," the official added.

Earlier in the the morning, the Lankan government also reimposed a ban on social media following violent incidents between the minority Muslim and majority Sinhalese communities in the country.

The blockade of Facebook and WhatsApp comes a day after Sri Lankan police imposed curfew in the country's western coastal town of Chilaw where a mob attacked a mosque and some shops owned by Muslims in a dispute that started on a Facebook post by a Muslim .