El Salvadoran lawmakers Sunday approved a state of emergency, the president of the country's Legislative Assembly said.

The decree, approved by a large majority of lawmakers, "declares an emergency regime throughout the national territory derived from serious disturbances to public order by criminal groups." 

The law restricts free assembly, the inviolability of correspondence and communications and allows arrests without a warrant.

Gang violence has soared in El Salvador in recent days, with police reporting that 62 people were killed on Saturday alone. Hours earlier, police and the military arrested several leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang over the spate of killings.

"We will not back down in this war against gangs, we will not rest until the criminals responsible for these acts are captured and brought to justice," the country's National Civil Police posted on Twitter. 

(With input from AFP)