Sri Lankan gov't minister: At least 1 Muslim killed in riots

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan Cabinet minister says a Muslim man was killed and dozens of shops and mosques were destroyed in communal violence in apparent retaliation to the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people.

Rauff Hakeem, a Cabinet minister and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, said Tuesday that the man was hacked to death Monday in northwestern Sri Lanka when majority ethnic Sinhalese mobs attacked Muslim-owned shops and homes. A police curfew was imposed in the region.

Communal violence has also been reported in western Sri Lanka.

Muslims have been subjected to hate comments in social media since the April 21 suicide attacks on three churches and three hotels.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which were carried out by radicalized local Muslims.