Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan security forces were busy securing the country’s public schools on Sunday before they reopened on Monday, measures decided after the bloody Easter suicide bombings.
In some 10,900 schools across Sri Lanka, police and military forces have established security cordons and are looking for possible explosives. “Police and the army are combing school buildings and their surroundings to ensure that children can return safely” on Monday, said a police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera.
If the government plans to reopen public schools on Monday, the Catholic Church has said that schools dependent on it will remain closed “until further notice.”
The authorities have declared a state of emergency since 21 April and have expanded the powers of the police and army to facilitate the arrests and detentions of suspects. About 150 people were imprisoned. Searches continue in the country for explosives and jihadist propaganda material.
