Sri Lankan Opposition Politician Assassinated Amid Violent Crime Surge

Lasantha Wickramasekara, a 38-year-old opposition politician and council chairman of Weligama, Sri Lanka, was fatally shot in his office by an unidentified gunman. This killing marks the first assassination of a political figure amid a surge of violent crime in Sri Lanka, much of which is linked to drug gangs and organized crime. The opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, to which Wickramasekara belonged, has been engaged in a fierce power struggle with the ruling party for control of the Weligama council. Authorities are investigating the incident, but the motive remains unclear as the assailant fled the scene. This wave of violence, involving over 100 shootings and 50 deaths this year, has raised serious concerns about law and order under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's government, which has pledged to crack down on gangs and restore stability. Efforts have included arrests of suspected gang leaders both domestically and abroad to address the escalating crime.