Sri Lanka: Security of former cricket captain, recently-sacked MP Arjuna Ranatunga opens fire, injures three

Three people were injured in Sri Lanka on Sunday when a security guard of parliamentarian Arjuna Ranatunga, former petroleum minister under ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's sacked cabinet, opened fire, police spokesman said.

President Maithripala Sirisene on Saturday declared that the cabinet had been dissolved with the appointment of new prime minister a day before.

When Ranatunga tried to enter his office at the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, his official security guard shot and injured three people, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told Reuters.

However, a Gulf News report stated that the guards opened fire after a group tried taking Ranatunga hostage.

Police have arrested guard who opened fire, he said, adding that a probe was under way.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lankan Parliament's speaker on Sunday recognised Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country's prime minister, saying he has "obtained a mandate to secure democracy and good governance , in a major relief to the embattled UNP leader who was sacked by President Maithripala Sirisena in a dramatic move on Friday night.

In a letter to Sirisena, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya questioned the president's decision to suspend parliament till November 16, saying it will have "serious and undesirable" consequences on the country.