A special security and traffic management programme will be implemented island-wide for this year’s Hajj festival, which falls on May 28, Sri Lanka Police have announced.

The Inspector General of Police has instructed all police stations across the country to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of devotees during the religious event, widely observed by Muslims around the world.

Accordingly, police officers will be deployed in and around mosques where special prayers are scheduled to take place.

A special traffic plan will also be enforced to ease congestion and facilitate the movement of devotees near mosques.

Police said mobile patrols, foot patrols and motorcycle patrols will be carried out in towns and cities with large Muslim populations.

Intelligence officers have also been assigned to strengthen security operations and obtain relevant information when required.

Police have appealed to the general public to cooperate with the security programme and urged people to immediately report any suspicious person or object to the nearest police station or through the emergency hotlines 119 or 118.

Sri Lanka Police stated that its objective is to ensure that Muslim devotees are able to carry out their religious observances peacefully and without interruption while maintaining religious harmony across the country.