Emergency to be declared in Sri Lanka

The President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena has declared that a nationwide emergency will be declared in Sri Lanka from midnight of 22^nd April following the Easter massacre that took place there on Saturday, April 20. The President also reported that he has appointed a committee for going into the roots and investigating the terror attack which involved eight serial blasts. The committee consisting of three people, headed by a top court judge is going to submit a preliminary report within two weeks. This was the worst terror attack that Sri Lanka has experienced since the Sri Lankan Civil War which took place 10 years ago. The series of eight blasts in different locations have killed 290 people, according to the government reports and left hundreds injured.  Curfew was already imposed in Sri Lankan capital Colombo after the blasts and it will again be imposed till the dawn of 23^rd April. In order to reduce public movements and keep an eye on the situation, the government has declared a two-day holiday. April 23^rd has been declared as a National Day of Mourning by President Sirisena. The Sri Lankan security forces have been deployed in important locations to secure those areas and to prevent any further terrorist activities. President Sirisena will be holding meetings with ambassadors and high commissioners of other countries to inform them about the intensity of the situation and to seek their nation’s support in such a state of emergency.