Officials said armed soldiers patrolled the towns of Dadu, Moro and Kazi Ahmad which, along with other nearby towns in the central Sind province, have been the main centres of the anti-martial law agitation.
President Jayewardene told The Indian Express that he envisaged a low profile role for India at the outset in bringing about a reconciliation between the Tamil minority and the Sinhala majority on the island.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said that she was prepared to send an emissary to Sri Lanka to facilitate the process of negotiations between the government and the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) for a permanent solution.