Security guards escort prisoners to a bus outside Negombo Prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka.Image: keystone
July 6, 2026, 5:14 p.mJuly 6, 2026, 5:14 p.m
According to authorities, at least 26 people were killed in an outbreak of violence in a prison in Sri Lanka. More than 75 people were injured, said the Justice Minister of the South Asian island state, Harshana Nanayakkara, according to the broadcaster Ada Derana and other Sri Lankan media. The fatalities include 19 prisoners and seven prison guards.
Police reportedly believed that members of two rival groups had clashed at the maximum security prison in Negombo. Negombo is located about 30 kilometers north of the metropolis of Colombo on the west coast of the island.
Dispute over drug trafficking?
According to reports from the Sri Lankan news portal Newsfirst, initial information suggests that a dispute over drug trafficking may have triggered the violence. The groups are active in the area of organized crime. The security forces had brought the situation in the detention center under control by Monday afternoon (local time).
Clashes had already occurred on Sunday. After the situation initially appeared to calm down, violence broke out again in the prison on Monday. Sri Lanka’s air force used a helicopter and drones to support the security forces in the prison. Authorities launched an investigation. (maw/sda/dpa)