Attacks on opposition at Mahiyanganaya and Kurunegala

• Three injured in Mahiyanganaya 
• Artitstes Samanalee Fonseka and Indrachapa Liyanage injured in Kurunegala 
• CMEV records 180 incidents of polls violence

Violent incidents are spiking in the final two weeks to election day, with an attack yesterday on Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena’s election office in Mahiyanganaya and a brutal attack on young artistes campaigning for the opposition in Kurunegala. Several injuries were reported from both attacks, with one retired Army Colonel also injured in the Mahiyanganaya attack. Three injured persons from the attack were admitted to the Mahiyanganaya Hospital, police said. Polls monitors said 15 persons had arrived in two vehicles to attack the office. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the attack. Artistes Samanalee Fonseka and Indrachapa Liyanage were both injured in the attack on artistes in Kurunegala. The young artistes belonging to the movement ‘Aluth Parapura’ were staging a show in support of Sirisena yesterday when a mob of about 150 persons attacked the group. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) noted yesterday that 180 incidents of election-related violence had been reported since the declaration of the snap polls on 20 November. CMEV said that of these 108 were classified as major incidents while 72 were classified as minor. The most number of incidents have been reported from the District of Colombo, the CMEV said. (DB)