Four Muslims have been arrested by Police for spreading rumours via text messages, Police headquarters said.

The text message, which went viral among a section of the Muslim community, stated that there was a plan to carry out another attack against Muslims after August 10. The text message also claimed that a special meeting in this regard had been held at the Ministry of Defence, a spokesperson from the Police Headquarters said.

The false text message, the Police said, was based on a news report published in a website that is banned in Sri Lanka. The spokesperson also asserted that the text message was completely false and baseless.

The Police said the suspects would be produced before the court.

Police Media Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said a person by the name of Rizwan, a Sri Lankan living in Kuwait, had sent this message to a person in the Negombo area. Before the arrests were made, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had conducted an investigation into the matter.

After violent clashes that broke out in Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga Town, the Police headquarters stated that stern action would be taken against those who spread rumours.