Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa tendered his resignation on Monday, according to local reports.

The prime minister was reacting to weeks of protests that he and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, are responsible for the deep financial and economic crisis in the South Asian country.

Dozens of people were injured in riots between government supporters and demonstrators in the capital Colombo.

According to press reports, a hospital had admitted 78 patients who were said to have been injured in the riots.

The police had imposed a nationwide curfew after the riots.

In addition, the army should help to ensure law and order in the capital.

Till Fähnders

Political correspondent for Southeast Asia.

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The President called on citizens to remain calm and exercise restraint.

"Violence will not solve the current problems," he wrote on Twitter.

US Ambassador to Colombo Julie Chung condemned the violence against "peaceful protesters".

The opposition accuses the Rajapaksa government of pro-government thugs that may have been hired for the purpose of Monday's attacks.

They first held a rally in front of the Prime Minister's office in Colombo and then moved on to a protest camp of government critics in front of the President's office.

The camp has been the protest movement's headquarters for their demonstrations for several weeks.

Some of the pro-government attackers are said to be using fists,

Iron bars and other objects attacked the demonstrators there.

They destroyed tents and set them on fire.

The situation only calmed down when the police used tear gas and water cannon to separate the two groups.

The demonstrators, who have been gathering in Colombo almost every day for weeks now, blame the president and his brother for the severe financial and economic crisis that has been causing the country for months to experience skyrocketing food prices, petrol and gas supply bottlenecks, and power outages lasting hours every day .

The brothers had so far held on to their positions despite ongoing calls for their resignation.

It is questionable whether the Prime Minister's resignation alone will calm the situation.

The opposition has so far rejected the offer to form a unity government to deal with the crisis.

Before his resignation, Mahinda Rajapaksa, like his brother, had called on citizens to exercise restraint.

"The economic crisis we are in needs an economic solution," he wrote.

The highly indebted country has received pledges of aid from both India and China in recent weeks.