Sri Lankan Opposition Politician Assassinated: Lasantha Wickramasekara Shot Dead in Office Amid Rising Violence

Oct 22, 2025 04:55 pm CST

Lasantha Wickramasekara, a 38-year-old opposition politician and Weligama council chairman, was shot dead in his office by an unidentified gunman. This marks the first political assassination under President Dissanayake's government, occurring amid Sri Lanka's alarming surge in violent crime with over 50 deaths in more than 100 shootings this year, mostly linked to drug gangs and organized crime.