Investigation Board appointed over Kalpitiya Range incident

Colombo, June 20 (Daily Mirror) - A special Board of Inquiry has been appointed by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to investigate a confrontation that occurred between Air Force personnel and a group of individuals, including a police officer, during a bomb disposal exercise at the Kalpitiya field firing range on June 17.

The Air Force said that the incident took place while a military training exercise was in progress. 

It was reported that three individuals entered the secured firing range without prior authorization or advance notification, breaching the restricted perimeter established for the operation.

Air Force personnel stationed at the site, together with an officer from the Police Special Task Force (STF), intercepted the individuals and questioned them regarding their presence in the area. During the inquiry, it was revealed that one of the individuals was a serving police officer, while the other two were civilians accompanying him. The situation subsequently escalated into a heated verbal exchange between the parties.

Air Force officials said that the firing range had been designated a high-security prohibited zone for the duration of the bomb disposal exercise and that personnel were acting in accordance with established security procedures to safeguard all individuals within the area.

The Board of Inquiry has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident and submitting a detailed report on its findings.