A spokesperson at the Ministry said so far there are no reports of Sri Lankans being affected and is awaiting more details from the Sri Lankan mission.

Thousands of people in Egypt took to the streets demanding President Hosni Mubarak to step down. More than 3,000 people have been arrested so far, including some looters and escaped prisoners.

Several countries have warned their citizens to leave Egypt as the protests entered its sixth day on Sunday.

The military deployment came amid an almost complete collapse of law and order, with the violence escalating outside the capital. Residents in Alexandria, north-west of Cairo, were forced to stand guard outside their homes armed with sticks as gangs rampaged through the city.

Reuters reported the death toll to have reached nearly 100 with around 2,000 people injured.