Police officer shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 00:05 GMT]
An unidentified lone gunman shot and killed a policeman returning to his quarters at Batticaloa Police station at the end of his shift duty Tuesday afternoon at 6:15 p.m., sources in Batticaloa said.

The victim identified as Dassanayake, 29, died on the spot.

The incident occurred 50 metres from Batticaloa Arasadi junction.

The gunman fled the scene immediately after the shooting.

The body of the victim has been transferred to the Batticaloa teaching hospital, Batticaloa police said.