Sri Lanka's main Tamil party accused the government on Sunday of attacking the biggest opposition newspaper in an attempt to silence its political rivals ahead of key local council elections. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which represents minority ethnic Tamils, said Saturday's torching of the Uthayan newspaper presses added to a "fear psychosis" among the population in the northern district of Jaffna. "One of the main objectives (of the attack) is silencing the opposition ahead of provincial council elections," TNA legislator Suresh Premachandran told AFP.

Elite police commandos patrolled a suburb of the Sri Lankan capital Friday after hundreds of rampaging Buddhist hardliners torched a Muslim-owned business in the latest in a series of mob attacks. At least three people were wounded when mobs from the ethnic Sinhalese majority stoned and later set fire to a clothing store in Pepiliyana on Thursday night, police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena said.

India promised Wednesday to push for a "strong" resolution against Sri Lanka in the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council that would demand its neighbour investigate alleged war crimes. The issue split India's ruling coalition and heightened the risk of early elections on Tuesday, when a regional ally quit the government after demanding that India condemn "genocide" against minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's civil war.

India has called for "reconciliation" talks between Sri Lanka and its Tamil minority as it faces pressure to back a US motion at the UN demanding Colombo probe alleged army atrocities during the island's civil war. The United States has said it will place a motion before the UN Human Rights Council this month demanding an account of the final days in 2009 of the bloody conflict and pressing for all Sri Lankans to enjoy full human rights.