One killed & 24 injured in Rambukkana police shooting

Update

An indefinite curfew has been imposed in Rambukkana area this evening until further notice to control the situation following a shooting incident that left one killed and injured 24 persons when police opened fire, Police Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa said.

One person was killed and twenty-four individuals injured when police opened fire at a protest in Rambukkana, police said. Among the injured are eight police officials. 

The protest which commenced in the morning went on for hours before police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. 

Police Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa said that police opened fire when protesters tried to set fire to a fuel bowser which was stopped and was forced to park along the road. 

During the unrest situation, a tuk-tuk was also set on fire. Currently, Special Task Force (STF) personnel have been deployed to the scene to control the situation. 

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) called for an urgent report from the police on the shooting incident and the usage of live ammunition on protesters.

Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) called for an independent investigation into the incident while reiterating that 'government must ensure that the police and armed forces act with utmost restraint in the light of the genuine grievances of protesters,"

"We are saddened that previous warnings made by us as far back as January 2022 went unheeded by the authorities. Our members will continue to do their utmost to safeguard the rights of the people of this country. A detailed statement will follow," a statement from BASL said.