Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been forced to resign after a day of violence saw three people including a ruling party member of parliament dead, with reports emerging of people attacking properties linked to the ruling party across the island nation.
Legislator Amarakeerthi Athukorala from the ruling party shot two people – killing a 27-year-old man – and then himself after being surrounded by a mob of anti-government protesters outside the city, police said.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the circumstances of his death.
Nearly 150 people were wounded on Monday after supporters of the government armed with sticks and clubs attacked peaceful protesters.
Angry mobs stormed the house of Sanath Nishantha, an MP for the ruling party, in the district of Puttalam and set fire to it after damaging property and vehicles. Nishantha was seen with mobs raiding the anti-government “Gota go home” campaign in the capital.
The office and home of Johnston Fernando, a strong Rajapaksa loyalist, was set ablaze in the city of Kurunegala, police said, adding that more than a dozen vehicles had gone up in flames.
Source: Al Jazeera
