HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government confirmed Sunday afternoon that US whistleblower Edward Snowden had left Hong Kong for a third country.

"Snowden has left Hong Kong through legal and normal means for a third country," the government said in a statement.

"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has informed the US government of Snowden's departure from Hong Kong," the statement said.

The US government's request for the HKSAR government to issue a provisional arrest warrant for Snowden did not fully comply with the city's legal requirements, the statement said.

The HKSAR government could not keep Snowden from leaving before getting "adequate information" to handle the provisional arrest warrant which it had asked the US side to offer, it added.

According to the statement, the HKSAR government has also asked the US government to explain the reported hacking of some computer systems in Hong Kong by certain US government institutions and will follow up related developments to safeguard the legitimate rights of Hong Kong resident.