Sri Lanka’s former prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa was airlifted to Trincomalee naval base for security reasons, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne told the media on Wednesday.
He said the former prime minister would be moved to a location he wished, once the situation in the country returned to normalcy.
Gunaratne said that the military would provide security to Rajapaksa as long as it would take because as a former president, he is entitled to security for life.
Rajapaksa, serving as Sri Lankan president from 2005 to 2015, was sworn in as prime minister in 2019, resigned on Monday as violence erupted in the country.
Meanwhile, the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on Wednesday announced that fuel distribution had been temporarily suspended due to the current security situation and a curfew in the country.
A number of violent incidents had taken place in the country after pro-government groups clashed with anti-government protesters on Monday, leaving eight people dead and over 200 others injured.
A nationwide curfew was imposed on Monday and extended several times until Thursday morning. (Xinhua/NAN)
