Dehiwala grenade attack kills two children aged 11 and 17 and seriously injures their father as police probe a possible underworld gang clash.
The Dehiwala grenade attack has claimed the lives of two children from the same family and left their 55-year-old father seriously injured.
The attack took place in the early hours of today, September 11, at a house on Sirisangabo Mawatha in Kawdana, within the Dehiwala Police Division.
Police suspect that an unidentified person or group threw a hand grenade into the house while the family was asleep.
The explosion seriously injured the two children and their father. All three were rushed to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
However, hospital sources confirmed that the two children had already died by the time they were admitted.
The victims were school students aged 11 and 17.
Their father remains under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
Dehiwala Grenade Attack Linked to Possible Gang Feud
Preliminary police investigations have raised suspicions that the attack could be connected to a long-running conflict between organised criminal gangs.
Investigators are examining whether the incident resulted from a clash involving the faction of “Kudu Anju”, described as an underworld gang leader operating from overseas, and a rival faction associated with “Kosmallie”.
Police have reportedly received information suggesting that people living at the targeted house had links to the “Kosmallie” faction.
Investigators are now gathering evidence to determine who planned the attack and identify those directly involved in carrying it out.
The suspected underworld connection remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Two Special Police Teams Hunt Suspects
Police Media Spokesman Assistant Superintendent of Police Nithiwedi F.U. Wootler said authorities have deployed two special police teams to track down those responsible.
Police are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area as part of the investigation.
Scene of Crime Officers, known as SOCO, are also assisting with the collection and examination of evidence from the scene.
The authorities are working to identify the attackers as quickly as possible and bring them before the law.
Post-mortem examinations on the bodies of the two children are scheduled to take place at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
Meanwhile, security has been strengthened in Dehiwala and surrounding areas following the attack.
Police have taken additional measures to protect the public and prevent further criminal activity as investigations into the Dehiwala grenade attack continue.
