Five men with guns hijacked a minivan belonging to the Indian embassy in Sri Lanka and beat up the driver, an embassy spokeswoman and police said on Tuesday.

"One of our embassy vehicles has been hijacked on the way to the airport. Men with guns stopped the vehicle" on Monday, the spokeswoman said.

"The driver last night was beat up."

The men drove off in the van, taking the driver who lost two teeth when he was beaten, she said. He was freed a few hours later.

N.K. Illangakoon, a senior police officer in the area, confirmed that the van had been taken but said police had no information or suspects yet.

Last year, another Indian embassy vehicles was hijacked in the ancient hillside town of Kandy. Police have yet to find those responsible.

Neither the embassy spokeswoman nor Illangakoon would comment on whether the carjackings were tied to politics.

Analysts say India wields significant influence in Sri Lankan politics, and it has been actively involved in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the two-decade conflict between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for independence.