Three inmates killed, over 20 injured in fresh prison clashes in Sri Lanka
Three inmates were killed and over 20 injured during violent clashes at two Sri Lankan prisons, which officials suspect may be part of an organized plot. The unrest follows a government-led anti-narcotics drive, prompting the President to call for an emergency stakeholder meeting.
Why it matters
The incident raises concerns about prison security, organized crime influence, and the stability of the correctional system in Sri Lanka.
Three inmates were killed and 23 others injured in separate clashes at two prisons in Sri Lanka over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.
The clashes were the latest in a series of incidents of prison unrest in the island nation over the past month, which the public security minister has said are suspected to be part of an organised plot.
At the Kuruwita prison, 60 kms southeast of Colombo, two inmates were killed and 13 others injured on Friday after a violent situation, officials said.
"The immediate trigger for the unrest appears to have been the detection of a package containing narcotics and the subsequent arrest. It is evident that this was a response to the government’s anti-narcotics drive,” Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told reporters.
The injured are receiving treatment at Ratnapura Hospital.
Hours before the incident, a similar tense unrest took place at Colombo's Magazine Prison.
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