Sri Lanka Ordered Troops to Shoot Lawbreakers on Sight
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense ordered security forces to ‘shoot-on-sight’ to quell further discontent
The Sri Lankan government ordered police and military forces to arrest people without warrants one day after the deadly violence and the resignation of the Prime Minister. Moreover, the Ministry of Defense instructed troops to shoot on sight after it granted its police and military emergency powers to arrest demonstrators without warrants after Monday’s ferocity that left seven people dead and resulted in the resignation of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense ordered security forces to ‘shoot-on-sight’ to quell further discontent. Sri Lankan authorities granted its Armed Forces & law enforcement agencies to arrest people without warrants to curb violence. It left seven dead and 225 injured. pic.twitter.com/hcWtWvfeA6
On Tuesday, the defense ministry said that security forces ordered to shoot on sight anybody looting public property or harming any life. The order came as the administration deployed tens of thousands of navy, army, and air force troops to patrol tens of streets of the capital Colombo and elsewhere after one day of violence. Furthermore, police said that eight people, including two police officers, killed and sixty-five homes damaged during a revel of violence overnight.
Official government statistics revealed that eighty-eight cars and buses destroyed during the violence, including hundreds of motorcycles. Since Friday, the country has been under an emergency, giving sweeping powers to the army to detain and arrest suspects. Additionally, the government declared a two-day curfew after pro-government activists demolished a peaceful month-long protest in the capital demanding the resignation of Rajapaksa.
Ex-PM Flees to Naval Base
After his resignation, Sri Lankan former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members reportedly took shelter at a naval base, and violent protests erupted across the country amid its worst economic crisis. After fleeing their official residence in Colombo, the Rajapaksas family is putting up at Trincomalee Naval Base.
Sri Lanka Ordered Troops to Shoot Violent Demonstrators on Sight Source: Web
The Sri Lankan military rushed to protect the former prime minister and his family members. Simultaneously, the police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the violent mob on the demonstrators. The Sri Lankan cabinet resigned in the wake of the protests, but Mahinda Rajapakse established a new cabinet under his leadership.
