Sri Lanka's prime minister resigns :PM Family Home Set On Fire Amid Clashes

Picture courtesy:CNN

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, resigned on Monday, following weeks of protests against his government.

The country has been rocked by civil unrest since March, with demonstrations at times turning violent as anger builds over the government's apparent mishandling of Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis since declaring independence from Britain in 1948.

A nationwide curfew was imposed after clashes broke out between supporters of the ruling party and anti-government demonstrators in the capital city, Colombo, the police said Monday. The restrictions were announced shortly before Rajapaksa announced his resignation.

An MP in Sri Lanka's ruling party has died after a stand-off with anti-government protesters and the homes of a number of other politicians have been set on fire as violence escalated in the country.

The protesters hit back, setting fire to buses, destroying the memorial built for the parents of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa and setting ablaze their family home in Hambantota, around 250 km from Colombo. The houses of three former ministers and two MPs were also torched.

MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala opened fire and critically wounded two people blocking his car in Nittambuwa, and was later found dead after trying to take refuge in a nearby building.