COLOMBO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was airlifted to Trincomalee naval base for security reasons, Defense Secretary Kamal Gunaratne told the media on Wednesday.

He said that the former prime minister will be moved to a location he wishes, once the situation in the country returns to normalcy.

Gunaratne said that the military will provide security to Rajapaksa as long as it takes because as a former president he is entitled to security for life.

Rajapaksa, serving as Sri Lankan president from 2005 and 2015 and 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 has been temporarily suspended due to the current security situation and a curfew in the country.

A number of violent incidents have 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. Enditem

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