7 dead as gunmen attack Sri Lankan prison bus

File picture: Independent Media

File picture: Independent Media

Published Feb 27, 2017

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Colombo, Sri Lanka - Media reports say seven people were killed when gunmen shot at a bus transporting prisoners to a court in southwest Sri Lanka.

Privately owned Maharaja TV says five inmates, including a suspected gang leader, and two prison guards were killed in Monday's attack near the town of Kalutara, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the capital, Colombo.

The gunmen escaped after the shooting.

The motive for the attack was not immediately known. Police and prison officials were unavailable for comment.

There have been several incidents in the past in Sri Lanka in which rival criminal gangs have targeted each other on court premises or inside prison vehicles.

Associated Press

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