Similar orders were issued to Sri Lanka's armed forces on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka's police said they were given orders on Wednesday to shoot to prevent looting and damage to public property and if lives are threatened.
Similar orders were issued to Sri Lanka's armed forces on Tuesday.
The island nation has been rocked by violence that has left at least nine people dead and more than 200 injured amid its worst economic crisis.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)