Police probe alleged attack on Buddha statue in Mawanella

Several police teams have been deployed to investigate an alleged attack on a Buddha statue at Hingula, Mawanella. 

Police said that the glass covering protecting the chamber housing the Buddha statue had been broken, seemingly by an object thrown at the chamber. The incident is believed to have occurred late last night or in the early hours of this morning. 

No arrests have been made in connection with the attack and investigations are ongoing. 

The Buddha statue, located next to the Dedimunda Devalaya at Hingula, was also attacked on the night of December 26, 2018. This was the start of attacks against several Buddha statues in the Mawanella area by extremists connected to those behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks. 

The Special Task Force (STF) has also now been deployed to the Mawanella and Hingula areas to provide additional protection. 

Meanwhile, investigations are also continuing to trace the whereabouts of a large stock of explosives believed to have been stolen from a rock quarry in the Mawanella area. 

Text and Pix by Pradeep Kumara Dharmaratne