The Sri Lankan Police have arrested 1,500 persons in connection with the May 9 violence in the country, the police said on Monday, the country’s news portal News First reported.

On May 9, violence had broken out in the island country after Mahinda Rajapaksa had resigned as the prime minister. Ten persons, including a ruling party MP, had died and homes of many political leaders attacked in the clashes between supporters of Rajapaksa’s party and anti-government protestors.

The ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in Hambantota, and the houses of ruling party MP Sanath Nishantha and senior leader of the party Maheepala Herath were also been set on fire.

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Members of the ruling coalition government had blamed the Opposition communist party Janata Vimukhti Peramuna for instigating the violence, reported PTI.

Sri Lanka Police spokesperson Superintendent of Police Nihal Thalduwa on Monday said that 152 persons were arrested in the last 24 hours in connection with the violence.

Eight more Cabinet ministers sworn in

Meanwhile, eight new Cabinet ministers were sworn in on Monday in the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Bandula Gunawardena took over as the minister for media, transport and highways and Keheliya Rambukwella got the water supply porfolio.

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Other minitsers are Roshan Ranasinghe, irrigation, sports and youth affairs minister, Vidura Wickramanayake, minister for Buddha Sasana, religious and cultural affairs, Mahinda Amaraweera, agriculture, wildlife and forest resources conservation minister, Douglas Devananda, fisheries minister, Ramesh Pathirana, minister of industries, and Naseer Ahamed, minister of environment.

On Friday, Sri Lanka had appointed nine Cabinet ministers, including those from the Opposition parties.

The President has, however, not inducted a finance minister to manage the debt-ridden nation’s economic crisis, PTI reported.

On May 12, Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the new prime minister after Mahinda Rajapaksa’s exit.