Police have recovered the vehicle believed to have been used by gunmen in a shooting near the Devinuwara Devalaya in Matara, with the car found in the Dikwella area, Ada Derana reported.
The discovery marks a significant step in the investigation into the attack, which targeted a house close to the historic temple. According to police sources, the shooting is suspected to be connected to a dispute between two organised criminal figures over control of the annual Devinuwara Devalaya Perahera, one of the region’s major religious processions.
No fatalities were reported in the incident. Investigators are examining the recovered vehicle for forensic evidence as they work to identify and trace those responsible for the shooting.
The case adds to a series of firearm-related incidents in the southern coastal belt, where police have linked several recent attacks to rivalries between organised crime groups. Authorities say efforts are continuing to apprehend the suspects and establish the full circumstances behind the attack.
The Devinuwara Devalaya, located in Dondra at the southernmost point of Sri Lanka, draws large crowds during its annual festival, and police have said they are treating the dispute over the perahera as a central line of inquiry.
