Sri Lanka imposes emergency for 4th month after bombings

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka’s government has extended emergency laws that give wide-ranging powers to security forces for the fourth time since the Easter Day bomb blasts that killed more than 250 people.

President Maithripala Sirisena issued the order to extend the emergency laws for another month, according to a government decree published on Monday. Sirisena said the extension is “in the interest of public security, the preservation of public order and maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.”

The law, which gives powers to the police and military to detain and question suspects without a court order, needs to be extended every month.

The government first imposed emergency laws two days after April 21 attacks.