Seven people were killed in southern Sri Lanka on Monday following an attack on a prison bus.

Local police said that the prison bus was shot at in the southern town of Kalutara killing seven people including a leading criminal gang member.

The police said that gunmen in a vehicle had approached the bus and opened fire.

A criminal gang member identified as Aruna Udayashantha was killed in the shooting incident while two prison officers were also killed.

This is the second shooting targeting a prison bus over the past one year in Sri Lanka.

Last March a suspect in custody over the murder of a top politician was shot at while he was being transported to prison in a prison bus.

source: Xinhua