A gunman opened fire at a church in Sri Lanka’s Manampitiya village on Friday evening, raising safety concerns just days ahead of the country’s Easter Monday commemorations for the victims of the 2019 Easter bombings.
While no injuries were reported, the shooting damaged a church window, triggering a swift police investigation.
The incident occurred around 7 pm (local time) at the Living Christ Church located at Ayurveda Place, Manampitiya, approximately 160 kilometres northeast of the capital, Colombo.
As per a police statement cited by news agency AFP, “Initial investigations suggest that the suspect had targeted the church due to a personal enmity with the pastor.”
The suspect, identified as a 38-year-old resident of Main Road, Manampitiya, was arrested after police received a tip-off and launched a search operation, reported Daily Mirror Sri Lanka.
A locally-made firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered from his possession.
According to eyewitness accounts gathered during the preliminary investigation, the man approached the church gate, appearing to assess the area, then returned to the road and fired a single shot before fleeing.
Police are continuing their probe into the incident.
The attack comes as Sri Lanka remains on high alert during the Easter season. Armed police and military personnel have been deployed to nearly all churches across the island, especially with this year marking six years since the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 that killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners.
Over 500 others were wounded in the coordinated suicide attacks on three churches and three hotels.
This year, the Catholic Church is set to formally honour the bombing victims as “Heroes of the Faith” in a special memorial on Monday.
However, many within the Church continue to express frustration over what they say is a lack of accountability and transparency. As per AFP, the Church has repeatedly accused successive Sri Lankan governments of shielding those with links to the bombers. High-level investigations in the past have suggested ties between military intelligence units and those responsible for the attacks.
