Sri Lankan security forces have arrested more than 300 individuals in a large-scale overnight operation targeting gun violence and organised crime in the northern suburbs of Colombo, authorities said on Saturday.
The coordinated sweep, carried out on the night of July 4, involved personnel from the Sri Lanka Police, the Special Task Force, the Army, and the Navy.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security, the arrests were linked to suspected involvement in drug trafficking and various other criminal activities.
“These operations are part of a sustained effort to dismantle underworld networks and combat drug-related crime,” the ministry said in its release.
The crackdown follows growing public alarm over a sharp rise in gun-related violence in recent months. Opposition parties have claimed that since the beginning of the year, over 40 people have been killed in more than 60 shooting incidents.
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The government, while acknowledging the spike in violence, maintains that most of the killings stem from infighting among rival gangs engaged in the illegal narcotics trade.
Officials indicated that more such operations are likely in the coming weeks as part of an intensified national push to restore law and order.
