Police opened fire into the air to disperse crowds after supporters of two teams clashed during the final of a football tournament at a ground in Pooneryn, Kilinochchi, Hiru News reported.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekaran attended the final as chief guest. Hiru reports that a sudden clash broke out between spectators on both sides during the match and escalated to a point officers stationed at the ground could not contain, prompting them to fire warning shots.
As the situation grew tense, steps were taken to escort the minister safely away from the location.
Spectators blame the organisers
Hiru reports that spectators at the ground attributed the disorder to the running of the competition itself, alleging that a prominent provincial-level tournament in the Northern Province had been handed to an unauthorised committee without proper authority.
That is a claim made by people at the scene, not a finding. No tournament body, provincial sports authority or ministry official is quoted responding to it.
What has not been reported
Neither account states whether anyone was injured by the gunfire or in the clash itself, whether any arrests were made, which teams were playing, or whether the match was completed. No police spokesperson is quoted, and no statement has been issued on the decision to discharge firearms.
The Tamil-language outlet Ilakku reported the same incident on Thursday evening, describing police firing at an event attended by the Fisheries Minister in Kilinochchi. No verified newsroom other than Hiru had filed on it at the time of writing, and the detail below the headline rests on Hiru’s account alone.
