Mobs Clash With Police After Sri Lanka Emergency

Police fired teargas to disperse rioters in curfew-bound central Sri Lanka hours after a state of emergency was imposed in a bid to quell anti-Muslim violence, an official said on Wednesday. At least three police were wounded in the overnight clashes at Menikhinna, a suburb of Kandy, which has been a focus of the new trouble, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said, AFP reported. Seven people were arrested for breaking the curfew and trying to cause unrest in the multi-ethnic district, which is a popular tourist destination. Schools across Kandy, 115 kilometers (72 miles) east of Colombo, remained closed on Wednesday as the government ordered more troops to reinforce police and stop the unrest spreading. Foreign governments issued travel warnings following Tuesday’s declaration of a state of emergency which gives sweeping powers to police and security forces to arrest and detain suspects.