Teen driver dies after police open fire on fleeing van

2026-02-10 - 03:49

A 17-year-old boy has been killed in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna district early today (Feb. 10) after police opened fire on a van that allegedly failed to comply with orders to stop for inspection near the Allapiddy junction in the Kayts police division. According to the Police Media Division, the vehicle had ignored the police orders to stop and sped toward Mandaitivu. Information about the fleeing van was relayed to a jeep carrying the Kayts Officer-in-Charge, who attempted to intercept the vehicle. When the van continued to flee despite repeated attempts to stop it, officers first fired warning shots into the air. As the vehicle failed to halt, police opened fire at the van in an attempt to stop it. The driver was struck by gunfire and was rushed to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, where he had later succumbed, police said. The deceased was identified as a 17-year-old resident of the Vaddukoddai area. Police said the rear seats of the van had been removed. Two other persons who were inside the vehicle at the time of the incident, were arrested. Further investigations are being conducted by the Kayts Police and the Jaffna Divisional Criminal Investigation Unit.