Sri Lanka's outgoing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was rescued in a pre-dawn military operation Tuesday, hours after his resignation, as violent clashes between pro and anti-government protesters left several people dead and hundreds injured.
The military were called to the Prime Minister's 'Temple Trees' compound after protesters tried to breach his private residence twice overnight, a senior security source told CNN.
The attackers managed to "enter the outer perimeter" of the residence where they hurled petrol bombs, but their attempts to enter the building were thwarted when the military fired tear gas, according to the source.
One police officer involved in the clashes died at the scene when a tear gas gun exploded, the security official said, confirming that 76-year-old Prime Minister Rajapaksa and his family have since been taken to an undisclosed location.
Troops have also been ordered to shoot anyone found to be damaging state property or assaulting officials, the Ministry of Defense said, in a statement following an attack on the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police.
