AKKARAIPATTU (Sri Lanka), Nov 18: Six Muslim worshippers were killed here on Friday when two grenades were lobbed into a crowded mosque, marking the latest in a spate of attacks by suspected LTTE cadres on Muslims in the heavily Muslim populated east of the country.

At least 18 worshippers were seriously wounded in the attack. The assailants had hurled grenades at the mosque while Jumma prayers were in progress, military sources said.

Friday’s mosque attack was made in the aftermath of heavy violence unleashed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam in the north east of Sri Lanka during Thursday’s presidential election.

The election was boycotted by the Tamils following a decree by the Tiger rebels, with only Muslims in the region turning up to vote.

The Muslims had mostly backed opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe following support declared to him by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.

“We encouraged the Muslims to support a federal structure as promised by Wickremesinghe in the hope that peace talks with the LTTE will resume. Now with victory going to (Prime Minister) Mahinda Rajapakse, Muslims fear the outcome of the unitary state concept as pledged by him, which will push the LTTE to more violent acts.

“The brunt of this violence will have to be borne by the Muslims who live in close proximity to the Tamils in the east,” Hassan Ali, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress told Dawn.