Gunman fires at Sri Lanka church ahead of Easter bombings anniversary

Colombo: A gunman fired at a church in Sri Lanka, police said Saturday, with the country on high alert six years since Easter Sunday bombings killed h...

Colombo: A gunman fired at a church in Sri Lanka, police said Saturday, with the country on high alert six years since Easter Sunday bombings killed hundreds.

The gunman opened fire Friday at a church in Manampitiya, 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of the capital Colombo, a police statement said.

The shooting damaged windows and no one was hurt, while a suspect has been arrested, police said.

"Initial investigations suggest that the suspect had targeted the church due to a personal enmity with the pastor," the statement said.

Armed police and troops have been deployed to nearly all churches nationwide during Easter celebrations, with security heightened following the 2019 attack.