A man was killed and a secretary to the late former minister Mangala Samaraweera was injured in a shooting near the Kandana Public Market this morning.
The deceased has been identified as Upali Kulawardena (50), a friend of former minister Samaraweera’s secretary, Sameera Manahara. Both men were travelling in a car when two unidentified assailants arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire with a T-56 firearm at around 10:00 a.m.
They were rushed to the Ragama Teaching Hospital with serious injuries. Despite emergency medical treatment, Kulawardena succumbed to his injuries shortly after admission. Manahara remains in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries.
The incident caused considerable panic at the hospital, News First reports.
The Colombo North Criminal Investigation Bureau has launched a full-scale investigation to identify the gunmen and determine the motive behind the attack.
