COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — An unidentified gunman fatally shot an opposition Sri Lankan politician at his office Wednesday, making him the first politician killed in a spate of shootings that have gripped the island nation in recent months.

Lasantha Wickramasekara, the head of the council of the coastal town of Weligama, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of the capital Colombo, was attending to his official work when the gunman entered the office building and opened fire using a pistol, police said in a statement.

Police said the assailant fled the scene after the shooting and that Wickramasekara succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the hospital.

Police did not reveal a motive for the shooting and said an investigation is underway to identify the suspect.

The 38-year-ol

See Full Page