COLOMBO : Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga early on
Saturday declared a state of emergency following the assassination
of the country's foreign minister, her spokesman Eric Fernando told
AFP.
"The president has declared an emergency," Fernando said, speaking
hours after Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar died in a Colombo
hospital after being shot in the head and chest by snipers.
The state of emergency would last for an indefinite period, said
Fernando. It allows security forces to arrest and detain suspects
for lengthy periods.
The announcement of the state of emergency came as the military
asked Colombo residents to remain indoors Saturday to allow a major
search operation to go ahead for two suspected Tiger rebels behind
the killing of Kadirgamar.
- AFP /ls