Kathmandu,

July 13,

The Sri Lankan prime minister’s office has confirmed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country.

President Rajapaksa, his wife and two bodyguards left aboard a Sri Lankan Air Force plane bound for the city of Male, the capital of the Maldives, according to an immigration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

They arrived in the capital, Male, at around 03:00 local time (22:00 GMT).

Mr Rajapaksa's departure ends a family dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for decades.