Supporters of detained ex-army chief attacked in Sri Lanka

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The supporters had gathered near the Supreme Court in Colombo to protest the arrest of Fonseka Monday, allegedly for leaking sensitive information when he was head of the military.

Several hundred pro-government protestors pelted Fonseka's supporters with stones, shortly followed by tear gas attacks by the police, the spokesman said.

Fonseka's wife Anoma was allowed to visit him in the Navy headquarters where he was detained Tuesday night, and deliver medication he needs since he was injured in an assassination attempt in 2006, military spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe said.

Fonseka is charged with passing information from the government's security council to opposition parties, Defence Ministry spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

In May, the general led the army to victory over Tamil rebels, ending 26 years of conflict.

He was later demoted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, although the two had worked closely together during the conflict.

Fonseka then contested the Jan 26 election against Rajapaksa as candidate for an alliance of opposition parties, including those representing Tamil groups.

Rajapaksa won re-election with 58 percent of the vote, Fonseka getting 40 percent. The opposition said it would challenge the result, claiming fraudulent ballot counts.

"The move to arrest Fonseka is an attempt to prevent him from filing the election petition within the stipulated three weeks time," Tissa Attananayaka, general secretary of the United National Party, told journalists Wednesday.

The party was filing a petition against Fonseka's arrest with Supreme Court Wednesday, according to its website.

Parliament was dissolved Tuesday night in preparation for new parliamentary elections expected to be held April 8.