Shooting of Sri Lanka Church: Sri Lankan church before the anniversary of Easter bombing, suspect arrested
A gunman set fire to a church in Manampitia village in Sri Lanka on Friday evening, causing the victims of the 2019 Easter bomb blasts to increase security concerns a few days before the country’s Easter Monday’s memory.
While there was no injury, the shooting damaged a church window, causing a fast police investigation.
The incident took place around 7 pm (local time) Living Christ Church Located in Ayurveda Place, Manampitiya, about 160 km north of the capital Colombo.
According to a police statement quoted by the news agency AFP, “Initial investigation suggests that the suspect targeted the church due to personal enmity with the pastor.”
According to the report by The Daily Mirror Sri Lanka, the police, identified as a 38 -year -old resident of Manampitiya, was arrested as a suspect.
The shooting is believed to have used a locally manufactured gun, recovered from its possession.
According to the eyewitness accounts collected during the initial investigation, the man approached the church gate, appeared to assess the area, then returned to the road and fired the same bullet before running away.
The police is continuing its investigation in the incident.
The attack comes when Sri Lanka lives on high alert during the Easter season. Armed police and military personnel have been deployed in almost all churches of the island, especially six years after the 2019 Easter Sunday bombing along with 279 people, including 45 foreigners.
More than 500 others were injured in coordinated suicide attacks on three churches and three hotels.
This year, the Catholic Church is set to formally honor the bombing victims as “Heroes of the Faith” at a special monument on Monday.
However, many people within the church express disappointment that what they say is a lack of accountability and transparency. According to the AFP, the church has repeatedly accused the Sri Lankan governments of preserving them with bombers links. The high-level investigation in the past has suggested relations between military intelligence units and those responsible for attacks.
