- Our Power of People Party Leader Saman Perera among deceased
- 6 Police teams deployed to investigate
The death toll from the shooting incident in the Beliatta area in Tangalle last morning (22) climbed to five after one more person admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds succumbed to his injuries.
Earlier, the Police said that the shooting had been carried out by a group of unidentified gunmen in a vehicle and that they had opened fire at four persons travelling in a Defender. The four persons in the Defender had been shot dead near the Beliatta exit of the Southern Expressway, the Police said, adding that another person was hospitalised in critical condition. The remains of the deceased were placed at the Tangalle Base Hospital.
The shooting had taken place between 8.30 a.m. and 8.40 a.m. when a group of individuals who had arrived in a green double cab had opened fire on a white Defender near the Beliatta interchange of the expressway. Four persons were killed at the scene, while another person who was admitted to the Tangalle Base Hospital with gunshot wounds later succumbed to his injuries, bringing the death toll from the incident to five.
Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya (Our Power of People Party [OPPP]) Leader Saman Perera was confirmed to be amongst those killed in the shooting incident.
Meanwhile, six Police teams have been deployed to investigate the incident. According to Police Media Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police and attorney Nihal Thalduwa, the special Police teams were deployed to carry out investigations under the supervision of the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) of the Southern Province.
Speaking to reporters in Colombo yesterday, Thalduwa said that the SDIG in charge of the Southern Province had appointed the following Police teams to conduct the said investigation; namely, the Southern Province Crime Division, the Tangalle Division Crimes Unit, a separate team under the Tangalle Police Headquarters Inspector, a team from the Beliatta Police, a team led by an officer-in-charge, and a team of intelligence officers.