Protesters who forced their way into the prime minister’s official Temple Trees residence then attempted to storm the main two-storey building on Tuesday where outgoing Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was holed up with his immediate family, AlJazeera reported.
“After a pre-dawn operation, the former PM and his family were evacuated to safety by the army,” a top security official told AFP news agency. “At least 10 petrol bombs were thrown into the compound.”
Rajapaksa’s evacuation to an undisclosed location followed a day of violent protests in which five people, including a member of parliament, were killed and nearly 200 wounded.
The security official said police kept up a barrage of tear gas and fired warning shots in the air to hold back protesters at all three entrances to the building.
The sudden surge in violence comes despite a curfew and a state of emergency that was imposed on Friday.
ZZ/PR
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