Sri Lanka holds 37 over 'plot to assassinate president'

Most of those detained under emergency regulations are military officers.

On Monday, about a dozen officers were sent to compulsory retirement accused of dabbling in politics.

The opposition denies there is any plot and says the government has launched a witch hunt after Mr Rajapaksa won the presidential election a week ago.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's election commissioner has rejected opposition allegations of counting fraud.

The scale of the recent arrests came to light after the Daily News, a government mouthpiece, reported that 37 people were in custody for possible involvement in what it called a conspiracy to assassinate the president and several other people.

It said those being held included a brigadier, a colonel, army deserters and four civilians.

Twenty-three of the suspects had been arrested in a raid on the office of the defeated presidential contender, Gen Sarath Fonseka, the newspaper said.