File photograph.
A Sri Lankan military soldier has been admitted to hospital in critical condition after attempting to take his own life by shooting himself in Jaffna last week.
The injured soldier has been identified as H. M. W. P. Bandara, a resident of Kurunegala, who was attached to the 523rd Army Camp located in Chavakachcheri. He is currently receiving treatment at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, where medical staff have described his condition as critical.
Military Police, together with officers from the Chavakachcheri Police, have commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The incident comes amid the continued heavy militarisation of the Tamil homeland, particularly in Jaffna, where Sri Lankan armed forces remain deeply entrenched almost seventeen years after the end of the armed conflict. Large numbers of troops continue to be stationed across civilian areas, with army camps, checkpoints and patrols forming a routine part of daily life for residents.
Despite repeated assurances from successive governments about demilitarisation, the Tamil North-East remains one of the most militarised regions in the world.
Authorities have not yet released further details regarding the motive for the suicide attempt, and investigations are ongoing.
