Sri Lanka: order given to the police to go on the offensive, fear of a situation soon "uncontrollable"

Sri Lankan police have been ordered to go on the offensive and fire live ammunition to contain a situation

'out of control ' after another night of sporadic fires, a senior official told AFP. Wednesday May 11.

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Read alsoSri Lanka on the brink

"

," said the official on condition of anonymity, "

".

After the fire of a hotel in the south of the country, late Tuesday evening, the police also fired in the air to disperse the crowd which tried to set fire to vehicles in different places.

The security forces of 85,000 men have orders to fire live ammunition at the troublemakers, added the official.

Monday evening, the army had received the order to shoot on sight to suppress the riots.

The violence that erupted on Monday has since left eight people dead and more than 225 injured across the country, according to the police who had to reinforce the security of several judges who were targeted.

The curfew decreed on Monday, shortly after the start of the clashes, and which was to be lifted on Wednesday morning, has been extended by 24 hours due to the continuing riots.

Demand the departure of the Rajapaksa brothers

The country of 22 million people is facing its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948 from the United Kingdom.

Peaceful demonstrations by a population, overwhelmed by months of severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine and power cuts, have been calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for weeks.

Government supporters, brought from the province to Colombo on Monday and galvanized by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, ignited the fire by attacking anti-government protesters.

At 76, the head of the Rajapaksa clan resigned from his post following these bloody clashes.

Shortly before dawn on Tuesday, he had to be exfiltrated by the army from his official residence besieged by a furious crowd.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda's younger brother, who remained in office, enjoys extensive powers and command of the security forces.

Read alsoSri Lanka: the Rajapaksa brothers extend their influence

Echoing calls from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union, the United States expressed concern both about the escalation of violence and the deployment of the army.

"

" Ned Price told reporters on Tuesday. State Department spokesman in Washington.

Sri Lanka, in default on its external debt estimated at 51 billion dollars since April 12, is currently in talks with the IMF on a possible bailout.