Caracas: Bursts of gunfire erupted Monday night near Venezuela’s presidential palace, as security forces reportedly engaged unidentified drones flying over the capital just days after a U.S. military raid toppled the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The incident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. local time near the Miraflores Palace in central Caracas. A source close to the government stated that security units opened fire in response to the aerial drones and that the situation was quickly "under control."

The gunfire took place only hours after Maduro’s longtime deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, was formally sworn in as the nation's interim president following the arrest of her predecessor.

Residents living near the palace described a brief but intense exchange. "The first thing that came to mind was to see if there were planes flying overhead but there were not. I just saw two red lights in the sky," said one local who lives five blocks from the complex. "Everyone was looking out their windows to see if there was a plane, to see what was happening."

The resident noted the gunfire was less sustained than the pre-dawn assault on Saturday, "Operation Absolute Resolve," in which U.S. special operations forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Video footage shared on social media appeared to show tracer rounds lighting up the night sky over the palace, followed by a surge of security personnel rushing toward the government seat. The Ministry of Communications did not provide an immediate statement.

The flare-up highlights the volatile security environment in Caracas as the new interim administration attempts to establish authority. Maduro and Flores made their first appearance in a New York federal court earlier Monday, where both pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges.

With inputs from AFP