WEB DESK
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned today from his post after anti-government protests across the island nation. Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana has also handed over his resignation letter to the President. These resginations came after violent clashes erupted in Colombo over the economic crisis in the country.
Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed across the country after supporters of the country’s ruling party stormed a major protest site in Colombo, attacking anti-government demonstrators and clashing with Police who used tear gas and water cannons to drive them back.
On Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared a State of Emergency in the country. It was the second time that emergency was declared in Sri Lanka in just over a month.
Police sources confirmed that shots were fired in the air to prevent the crowd breaching the inner security ring of the residence where Rajapaksa, who resigned as premier earlier in the day, was holed up.
Witnesses saw several tear gas cannisters hit the US embassy compound located across from the residence, which is known as Temple Trees and is a key symbol of state power in the South Asian island.
Officials said the military deployed hundreds of troops to guard the outgoing premier and his aides at the residence after protesters pulled down a rear gate.
The thousands of protesters had defied an indefinite curfew declared earlier in the day to maintain their seige on the residence.
Elsewhere, police reported dozens of homes of ruling party politicians had been attacked by angry mobs across the island.
Protestors and Sri Lanka’s religious leaders blame Rajapaksa for instigating supporters to attack unarmed protestors who had been demonstrating peacefully since April 9.