79 shooting incidents have been taken place in Sri Lanka over the past 07 months, resulting in 52 deaths and 260 arrests, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today (May 09).
The shootings had occurred in the 07 months from September 21, 2024 until May 08, 2025.
According to the minister, the shootings had left 35 injured as well.
62 of the incidents were linked to organized criminal gangs, while 17 were classified as other types of shootings, he added.
Of the 260 arrested, 229 were connected directly to organized crime, the minister further noted.
Minister Wijepala said the government has taken high-level decisions in this regard, and that it is unacceptable to claim that there has been a serious increase in shootings since the NPP government came to power.
“When we study these shootings, we will not see a significant increase from 2022, 2023, or 2024. But we do not trivialise any shooting. We treat every human life with value. Therefore, we have taken the highest decisions we can take as a government to suppress the underworld,” he emphasised.
