Breaking: 25 killed, 100 Injured as Rival Prison Inmate Groups Clash
- 25 prisoners died and about 100 others sustained injuries during violent clashes at a Sri Lanka prison on Sunday and Monday, July 6
- The fighting broke out between convicted prisoners and detainees held at the Negombo facility, roughly 35 km north of Colombo
- Military personnel were placed on standby to support police as authorities worked to clear prison areas and account for casualties
At least 25 people have been killed and approximately 100 others injured following violent clashes between two groups of inmates at a prison in Negombo, Sri Lanka, according to two police sources and a hospital source who spoke to Reuters.
The unrest began on Sunday, July 5, when convicted prisoners and those held on remand turned on each other at the coastal facility, located roughly 35 kilometres north of Colombo. The confrontation continued into Monday, July 6, with the cause yet to be established.
Source: Getty Images
Police sources confirmed that sections of the prison remained unsecured as officials worked to determine the full scale of casualties among both the dead and the wounded.
Army spokesman Brigadier Waruna Gamage said the military had been called in to assist but had not yet been deployed, Reuters reported.
"Military has been requested to provide support to the police but at the moment they are on standby," he told Reuters.
Footage broadcast by Derana TV showed a significant police presence stationed outside the prison gates. A police bus was seen departing the compound carrying injured inmates, with some lying on the floor of the vehicle, The Independent reported.
FG takes action for Nigerian inmates in African prisons
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian inmates at AbaSamuel Prisons in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, had been seen celebrating the intervention of the federal government of Nigeria after the administration of President Bola Tinubu successfully completed their transfer from the East African country to their home country.
The video of the joyful moment was shared by Dada Olusegun, the special assistant to the president on social media, who explained that the development came after Nigeria completed the bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Ethiopia.
Source: Legit.ng
