Sri Lankan PM Resigns, Ruling Party MP Killed In Clashes: 10 Points

MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala opened fireplace and critically wounded two folks blocking his automobile in Nittambuwa, and was later discovered useless after making an attempt to take refuge in a close-by constructing, officers mentioned.

Mr Rajapaksa, 76, had despatched his letter of resignation to his youthful brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, clearing the way in which for a “new unity authorities”.

“I’m resigning with quick impact in order that it is possible for you to to nominate an all-party authorities to information the nation out of the present financial disaster,” the Prime Minister mentioned within the letter, reported information company AFP.

The cupboard now stands dissolved. The most important opposition celebration has refused to hitch any authorities headed by a member of the Rajapaksa clan.

The most important clashes for the reason that financial disaster hit the island nation began this morning when supporters of the Rajapaksa household went on the rampage.

The loyalists had attacked unarmed protesters tenting outdoors the President’s workplace in downtown Colombo since April 9.

In a primary, the riot squad was referred to as in to bolster the police. Earlier, troopers had been pressed into service to guard deliveries of gasoline and different necessities however by no means to stop clashes.

Not less than 100 injured folks have been hospitalised, police sources have mentioned.

The police fired tear fuel shells and water cannon and declared an instantaneous curfew in Colombo, which was later widened to span the nation of twenty-two millon folks.

Sri Lanka has suffered months of blackouts and dire shortages of meals, gasoline and medicines in its worst financial disaster since independence, sparking weeks of overwhelmingly peaceable anti-government demonstrations.