Clashes in Sri Lankan Prison Leave at Least 25 Dead and over 100 Injured
Police said the riot stemmed from rival inmate groups and drug trafficking tensions, while security forces and investigators were deployed after the violence.
- Violent clashes at Negombo Prison in Sri Lanka killed 25 people and injured 72 over the weekend and into Monday, July 6, 2026, including four prison officers.
- Fighting began between two rival drug gangs, with preliminary findings suggesting the unrest stemmed from conflicts over trafficking activities within the severely overcrowded facility housing nearly 10,000 inmates.
- Negombo General Hospital Director Pushpa Gamlath reported many victims arrived with severe gunshot wounds after security personnel opened fire to disperse rioting inmates.
- Minister of Justice, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara ordered a detailed report on the incident, while the Police Special Task Force deployed to secure the area as investigations commenced.
- Authorities transferred three inmates to the Pallansena Prison Camp on Monday to restore order, as Sri Lanka grapples with 41,250 prisoners—four times the system's actual capacity.
118 Articles
118 Articles
According to official reports, at least 26 people were killed and more than 100 injured during a prison uprising in Sri Lanka. According to police reports, seven prison guards were killed on Monday. The uprising in the Negombo prison in the north of the capital Colombo had started on Sunday night. According to the police, two rival drug gangs in the prison fought against several thousand inmates. According to hospital reports, some of the victim…
According to the police, the clashes were between the detainees of two competing criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking.
In a prison revolt in Sri Lanka, at least 25 people were killed and about 100 injured. Forces search the grounds of the detention centre in Negombo for more victims.
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