Unidentified gunmen kill 1, wound 13 other workers campaigning for Sri Lankan

A Sri Lankan police officer stands guard near a victim injured in…

One person has died after gunmen opened fire at campaign workers in Sri Lanka’s capital in the first major political violence before the parliamentary election.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said that unidentified gunmen shot at the campaign workers from a vehicle and fled the scene.

I will exclusively hold this against the Rajapaksa faction because there is no other faction that would carry out such an attack and the foundation for this was created during Rajapaksa’s time and I would like to share these sentiments at this time.

Karunanayake blamed supporters of former strongman president Mahinda Rajapaksa who is looking to stage a comeback at the polls.

Issuing a statement General Secretary of the UNP Kabir Hashim said the United National Party vehemently condemns the attack on a group of people who were peacefully engaged in Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s election campaign.

The minister said he was “seconds away” from the shooting although initial police reports said he had just left the area when gunmen got off two vehicles and opened fire indiscriminately.

Karunanayake said the shooting had broken out while his supporters were lighting firecrackers, exacerbating the sense of panic and confusion. He was not available later Friday to comment on the claims of gang fighting.

The parliamentary election, scheduled for August 17, is considered a close fight between the ruling coalition and opposition United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA).