COLOMBO, Oct 23: An unruly group stoned the office of Sri Lanka’s deputy high commissioner in Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Thursday, and tried to enter it forcibly, the ministry of foreign affairs said.

In their bid to break in, they damaged the mission’s security post and a notice board. A stone thrown from outside and directed at the mission hit an officer.

The matter was brought to the notice of the Indian authorities and action was taken immediately to intensify security for the mission and its staff, a statement by the ministry said.

There is an agitation in Tamil Nadu against the Colombo government in protest against the war it has been waging against the Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu is home to 60 million ethnic Tamils.