Sri Lankan armed forces empowered to use force following clashes

COLOMBO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan armed forces are empowered to use force if the situation deems necessary to protect public property, key installations, vulnerable points and human lives, the army announced on Thursday.

The army said in a statement that certain sections of the protesters deviated from the proclaimed "non-violent" approach and continued to breach law and order as of Wednesday afternoon.

The army said protesters resorted to violence by trying to place the parliament complex as well as the speaker's official residence under siege while destroying police barricades through heavy machinery brought in there.

Sri Lanka's Department of Government Information on Thursday said that a curfew has been declared in the Colombo district from noon on Thursday till 5 a.m. local time on Friday following clashes between protesters and security forces a day earlier.