A shooting occurred near the Mannar Magistrate’s Court at approximately 9:20 a.m. today, where two individuals were killed by unidentified gunmen.
According to Sri Lankan Police spokesman Buddhika Manathunga, two unidentified gunmen arrived at the scene on a motorcycle and carried out the shooting using a pistol. The victims were identified as 61-year-old Saveriyan Arul and 42-year-old Selvakumar Jude, both of whom succumbed to their injuries. Two others were critically injured in the attack and were rushed to Mannar Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The shooting has sent a shockwave through the North-east, taking place outside a courthouse in a region that usually has a heavy Sri Lankan military presence.
The attack reportedly targeted individuals attending a trial linked to an ongoing dispute which dates back to June 2022, when a disagreement during a bullock cart ride in the Mannar Uyilankulam area escalated, culminating in the murder of two brothers on 10 June 2022. The case, currently being heard at the Mannar Magistrate’s Court, has been marked by heightened tensions.
The victims were allegedly witnesses in the ongoing case, with Selvakumar Jude being the main suspect in the 2022 murders. He had been released on bail by the Mannar Magistrate’s Court having reportedly survived a prior assassination attempt in February 2024. That attack, was allegedly carried out by unidentified gunmen from the opposing party near the Uyilankulam cemetery.
Sri Lankan police believe today’s shooting was an act of retaliation stemming from the long-standing dispute between the two parties involved in the 2022 murders. The perpetrators fled the scene immediately after the shooting, and the police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Further details are expected as investigations continue.
