JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 28, 2026 — A police sergeant was killed and another officer critically injured on Saturday morning after a tractor allegedly linked to illegal sand mining rammed into them in northern Sri Lanka, police said.
The incident occurred near a temple in the Kerpeli area of Kodikamam on the Jaffna peninsula, after officers responded to a tip-off about unlawful sand excavation.
According to police, two officers dispatched to the site attempted to intercept a tractor transporting sand. The driver, instead of stopping, accelerated toward them, striking both officers before fleeing the scene.
The impact killed Sergeant Hettiarachchi Alpet, 50, attached to the Kodikamam Police Station, officials said. The second officer sustained severe injuries and remains in intensive care at a local hospital.
Authorities later recovered the tractor, which had been abandoned and concealed in shrubland in the nearby Kilali area. The driver has not yet been identified.
Police said special teams have been deployed to locate and arrest the suspect, and investigations are ongoing.
The killing has renewed attention on the persistence of illegal sand mining in parts of northern Sri Lanka, which local residents say continues with the tacit support of some authorities and political actors.
