Hundreds of Sri Lankan journalists demanded an inquiry Friday into the abduction and assault of a colleague who was critical of the military.

Keith Noyahr, deputy editor and defense analyst of the English weekly The Nation was abducted by unidentified men about late Thursday and severely beaten before being set free, media rights groups said.

Protesting journalists paraded in Colombo with placards saying "Stop abduction, torture and killings of journalists" and "Expose now who abducted, assaulted journalist Noyahr."

"We believe that the reason for this attack is Noyahr's independent writing and analysis of the country's civil war," said Poddala Jayantha, secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association.

Jayantha said Noyahr exposed alleged malpractice and failures within the military and was critical of the way the war was being fought.

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"People have a right to know what's happening on the war front as the war is fought on public money. No government can suppress that right," Jayantha said.

"The way he was beaten is unprecedented," said Sunanda Deshapriya of the Free Media Movement, urging the government to hold an impartial inquiry to find and prosecute the culprits.

"If the government can't do that, we hold the government responsible for this abduction and attack," he said.

Three special police teams have been assigned to investigate the attack, police spokesman N.K. Ilangakoon said, adding that Noyahr is being treated in a hospital for head injuries.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe of Colombo National Hospital said Noyahr's condition is stable.

Sri Lanka is embroiled in a long-running civil war with ethnic Tamil rebels that has killed at least 70,000 people.