Army Ordered to Shoot; IMF Talks at Risk: Sri Lanka Latest
This article is for subscribers only.
Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday evening after the brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister, with local reports saying protesters targeted the homes of ruling-party lawmakers and the government ordering the army to shoot anyone damaging property.
The clashes came after a day of fast-moving events in the island nation, which has faced months of street protests as mismanagement of government finances lead to shortages of food and fuel and Asia’s fastest inflation. Earlier on Monday government supporters clashed with Rajapaksas’ opponents who have camped out in downtown Colombo for weeks to demand his resignation, prompting the government to impose a nationwide curfew and call in the army.