Maldivian government declares state of emergency

MALE: A state of emergency was today declared by the Maldivian government, giving sweeping powers to security forces, after arms and explosives were found at the country's capital as well as at an island resort.

"(The) Maldives declares state of emergency for a period of 30 days starting 12 pm Wednesday," the presidential spokesman Muaz Ali tweeted.

According to official sources, the emergency was declared after arms and explosives were found in a lorry parked here.

Explosives were also found at an island resort, they said but did not identify it.

They also said that some of the arms found were from the armoury of the Maldivian National Defence Force.

The investigations were on to find out who was responsible behind planting these explosives as also how the MNDF arms found their way out.

This comes days after Vice President Ahmed Adeeb was arrested on October 25 in connection with an explosion aboard the president's boat that authorities have called an assassination attempt.

A senior Maldivian diplomat and four others Maldivians were later also arrested and deported from Malaysia in connection with the attempted assassination of Maldives president Abdulla Yameen.