Police have recovered a motorcycle suspected to have been used by the suspects who carried out the shooting incident that took place at Weligama, Matara this morning (04).

The motorcycle was found abandoned near a lake in the Moonamalpe area of Weligama.

A group of five persons had gone to a house in Turkish Village last night (03) where the funeral was being held for the prisoner who died when a “Bo Tree” branch fell on a ward where prisoners were being detained in the Matara Prison.

Later, the group was returning home on foot at around 1.00 a.m. this morning (04) when they were shot at on the Valliwela road at Kapparathota in Weligama, the police said.

Police suspect that an unknown group of individuals who arrived on three motorcycles had opened fire on them using a revolver and a T-56 assault rifle before fleeing the scene.

Two of the five people walking on the road were injured in the shooting and were later admitted to the Walana Hospital in Matara.

Police stated that one person died during hospitalization and the other person was transferred to the Matara Hospital for further treatment.

The deceased has been identified as Akash Tharuka, a 26-year-old resident of Kapparathota.

The young man injured in the shooting has been identified as Shehan Dulanjala, 29, and police say the motive behind the shooting has not yet been uncovered.

Weligama Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.