Six police teams probing Beliatta shooting that killed 5

Six police teams have been deployed to investigate the shooting incident reported in Beliatta, Tangalle this morning (22 Jan.).

According to Police Spokesman SSP 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 today, the Spokesman said the SDIG in charge of the Southern Province has appointed the following police teams to conduct the said investigation; Southern Province Crime division, the Tangalle Division Crimes Unit, a separate team under the Tangalle HQI, a team from the Beliatta Police, a team led by the Officer-In-Charge of the division and a team of intelligence officers.

Earlier today, five persons including the leader of the ‘Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya’ political party, Saman Perera, were killed after a group of persons who arrived in a vehicle opened fire at a Defender near the Beliatta exit of the Southern Expressway

Four of the five persons in the Defender were killed at the scene, while another person who was admitted to the Tangalle Hospital with gunshot wounds later succumbed to his injuries, bringing the death toll from the incident to five.