Sri Lanka Air Force confirms President Rajapaksa left for Maldives

The Sri Lanka Air Force confirmed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife left for the Maldives on Wednesday.

"Under the provisions of the Constitution and on a request by the government, the Sri Lanka Air Force provided a plane early today to fly the president, his wife and two security officials to the Maldives," the statement said.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo said on Twitter it "categorically denies baseless and speculative media reports that India facilitated the recent reported travel of @gotabayar @Realbrajapaksa out of Sri Lanka".