Army motorcade stopped by Police at protest site, Sri Lanka Army Chief orders probe
As the motorcade was moving, the police who were present at the stop questioned them which led to a verbal confrontation between the armed soldiers and the police.
Colombo: As anti-government demonstrations intensified in the island country-Sri Lanka, a curious incident took place in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka where special forces soldiers were stopped by the police at protests.
Following the incident, the Army Chief called for an inquiry into the incident.
According to the reports, a group of masked soldiers with assault rifles drove through the crowd on unmarked bikes at a protest near Parliament, in which children, women and the elderly were also participating.
As the motorcade was moving, the police who were present at the spot questioned them which led to a verbal confrontation between the armed soldiers and the police.
The army chief Shavendra Silva who took serious exception to the incident decided to call for an inquiry.
In another development, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa late Tuesday night revoked the state of emergency he had declared on April 1 with immediate effect.
The order of emergency was withdrawn even at the time when the protests against the government showed no sign of relent, which erupted after the country witnessed the worst economic crisis.
Amid this, the ruling coalition lost its majority in Parliament after at least 41 lawmakers walked out of the alliance, with former allies urging President Rajapaksa's resignation.
Although the government is reduced to a minority already, there is still no clear indication coming from the opposition which is planning to move a no-confidence motion against the government.
The united opposition has already refused to accept the offer of President Rajapaksa's call to join a unity administration.
In more development related to the resignation of the Minister, Finance Minister Ali Sabry resigned a day after his appointment and ahead of crucial talks scheduled with the International Monetary Fund for a loan programme.
While the protest intensifies in Sri Lanka, the UN Human Rights Council has said it has been closely watching the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka, which is already facing international censure over its human rights record.
