Police fire in air as mob breaches gate of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official residence in Colombo: Report
India Today
The police, according to sources, fired to stop the mob from breaching the inner security ring of the residence where Mahinda Rajaspaksa is still holed up with his many loyalists.
Shots were fired in the air from inside the official residence of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as protesters breached the main gate and set fire to a parked truck, news agency AFP reported. Rajapaksa had earlier in the day resigned from his post along with Health Minister Prof Channa Jayasumana.
The police, according to sources, fired to stop the mob from breaching the inner security ring of the residence where Rajaspaksa is still holed up with his many loyalists.
Sri Lanka has been gripped by protests against the ruling government amid a spiraling economic crisis made worse by an unprecedented rise in the price of essential commodities and an acute shortage of fuel and electricity.
Also Read: | Sri Lanka PM quits, Rajapaksa ancestral home set on fire | All that happened today
Violent clashes also erupted on Monday between pro- government and anti-government protesters outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office in Colombo, following which the prime minister resigned from his post. Over 150 people were injured in the violence.
Ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in Medamulana, Hambantota set on fire by protesters. pic.twitter.com/QIEnREphjq
Clashes have also been reported from across the island nation after mobs supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful protesters after his resignation. The police also fired tear gas to disperse protesters.
