Five people have been killed in fierce clashes in Sri Lanka in the week following the deployment of thousands of police and army personnel to enforce a curfew, as the country’s economic crisis continues for weeks.
According to foreign news agency AFP, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post on Monday, after which public outcry subsided, but 200 people were injured in various clashes.
Thousands of anti -government protesters raided the house of the former prime minister overnight, but they were rescued by military action, during which police used tear gas to disperse the mob.
The security official said that the army evacuated the former prime minister and his family members in the morning.
About 10 petrol bombs were hurled at the compound, he said.
In the months since Rajapaksa’s family came to power, Sri Lanka has again faced blackouts and shortages, the worst since Sri Lanka’s independence.
President Gutabaya Rajapaksa is still in office, but he has all the authority and command of the security forces.
Peaceful protests against the government have been going on for weeks, but the protests turned violent yesterday after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation, his supporters rained batons and batons on protesters entering the capital by bus.
“We were killed, media workers and women were tortured,” a Sri Lankan protester told AFP.
Tear gas and water cannons were used by police to disperse the protesters and the curfew was imposed in Colombo, but the move was later implemented nationwide.
Authorities say the curfew will be lifted on Wednesday morning, shops and schools, including public and private institutions, ordered to remain closed.
US Ambassador Julie Chung tweeted that Washington condemned the “violence against peaceful protesters” and called on the Sri Lankan government to “conduct all investigations, including arresting and prosecuting those responsible for the violence.”
Despite the curfew, anti-government protesters are refusing to obey police orders in response to attacks by pro-government protesters.
Police say the ruling party’s lawmaker, Amrakarrati, was shot dead by two people outside Colombo, after the 27 -year -old man was killed, a mob of anti -government protesters gathered around them.
A police official told AFP that the lawmaker later killed himself with his own gun.
Athokurala’s bodyguard was also found dead, police said.
Police said the protesters without saying anonymity that two people were killed and 5 were injured in the shooting at another lawmaker protesters.
Angry mobs set fire to the homes of supporters of Rajapaksa and other politicians, while vehicles, buses and trucks used by government loyalists were also targeted.
Doctors at Colombo’s National Hospital rescued wounded government supporters, and soldiers smashed closed doors to evacuate the wounded.