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by Ranil Wijayapala and Trincomalee group correspondent

Police used tear gas and had to call for Army assistance to control rival unarmed mobs who fought each other in Muttur injuring four people, yesterday.

The clash was between supporters and opponents of a hartal that was called in some parts of the Eastern Province to protest against the storming of an LTTE office. Four people were taken to hospital and several shops damaged by the mob violence.

The hartal affected transport, school activities and other services in Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts.

The rival mobs encountered each other at Heta Hatara Handiya when a group from Pachchanur who supported the hartal came there in a procession.

Local residents opposed to the work-stoppage hurled abuse at the processionists, police said. Later, stones were pelted and shops and other property damaged.

Both sides suffered injuries and police said the four casualties were transferred to Trincomalee hospital for extra security.

The security forces spread a security net in the area to maintain peace into the night.

The hartal participants yesterday handed over a petition to the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Trincomalee.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission spokesman Teitur Torkelson said that the SLMM is also inquiring into the attack on the LTTE political office in Muttur but so far they have not identified the culprits.

The Police are continuing inquiries into the incident and keeping an eye on the LTTE Muttur political office to avert another such attack, Torkelson added. 

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