An extremist group was behind yesterday's unrest near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence in Mirihana, the Presidential Media Division (PMD) said.

It has been revealed that a group of organized extremists were protesting near the Jubilee Post in Nugegoda, suddenly became riotous and turned violent, the PMD said in a statement.

Many of those involved in the incident have been arrested and many have been found to have been organized extremists, they said.