Unknown gunmen attacked a column of buses carrying members of Sri Lanka's Muslim community to polling places on Saturday morning to cast their ballots in the presidential election, the island nation's police said
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th November, 2019) Unknown gunmen attacked a column of buses carrying members of Sri Lanka's Muslim community to polling places on Saturday morning to cast their ballots in the presidential election, the island nation's police said.
The attack took place in the northwest of the country shortly before the opening of polling places, the police said. After setting up roadblocks, the perpetrators attacked the convoy of more than a hundred buses. They also hurled stones at the vehicles and set fire to tires on the road, paralyzing the traffic.
According to preliminary data, there are no deaths or injuries. The police are looking for the attackers.
In the wake of the incident, additional army units have been dispatched to major Sri Lankan cities to ensure order on the election day.
Sri Lanka holds the presidential election on Saturday, with a total of 35 candidates running for the top post.
The vote comes amid political instability. In the fall of 2018, the country experienced a political crisis caused by President Maithripala Sirisena's attempt to oust Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe by replacing him with ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
After the parliament refused to support Rajapaksa, Sirisena dissolved it, while the cabinet resigned. As a result, the country was hit by a wave of protests. The Supreme Court, however, later declared the decision to dissolve the parliament unconstitutional. Wickremesinghe was reinstated as prime minister.
The political tensions are exacerbated by the unstable security situation following the devastating Easter Sunday bombings by Islamist extremists.
