Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared a state of emergency in the country giving the security forces wide authority to arrest and detain suspects with immediate effect.

Rajapaksa has issued the "Extraordinary Gazette" declaring a public emergency after hundreds of protesters gathered in the capital and many of them tried to storm the President's residence to protest against the government for "poor management of economic policies, which has created a mess in the country".

The President said he believed there was a "public emergency in Sri Lanka" that necessitated invoking the tough laws.

"The Gazette has been issued considering the prevailing situation in the country and in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community," said a statement. (AS/IANS)

Keywords: Sri Lanka, Debt, Emergency, Unrest, Economy, Policy.