At least five separate murders have taken place in the Colombo area of the last day, as gun violence increased around Sri Lanka’s capital in the run up to the presidential election.
There were at least five separate shootings, all of which resulted in the deaths of those targeted by unidentified assailants.
The first shooting occurred in the busy area of Dehiwala, where a 43-year-old shop owner was shot dead by two gunmen on a motorcycle at Saranankara Mawatha. The victim, a resident of Nedimala, Dehiwala, was inside his shop when he was fatally attacked.
Later that same evening, a second incident was reported in Tangalle, where a 32-year-old man was found dead with gunshot wounds on a coconut estate, according to police reports.
The third shooting took place in Matara, where a 38-year-old fish shop owner was shot by two assailants on a motorcycle. Two customers inside the shop were also injured in the attack. Police believe the shooting was carried out by criminal gangs based overseas.
In the fourth incident, a 30-year-old man was shot dead in the Nammuwawa area in Rasnayakapura. Police found the man inside an eatery after receiving information from local sources.
The fifth and most recent shooting occurred earlier this morning in Dehiwala, where a 45-year-old man was shot and killed by two gunmen on a motorcycle along Kadawatha Road.
These shootings are part of a worrying rise in gun violence across the South, with police reporting a sharp increase in incidents over the past year.
There have been at least 50 gang-related killings in the first six months of this year alone. Last year, there were 54 fatalities and 65 injuries from gun-related violence for the entire year. Authorities are now warning that these numbers may continue to climb.
