Sri Lanka Prison Clashes Leave 25 Dead, Nearly 100 Injured as Violence Enters Second Day

July 6, 2026

Sri Lanka: At least 25 people, including inmates and security personnel, were killed at Sri Lanka’s Negombo prison on Monday after violence escalated for the second consecutive day.

According to local media outlet Ada Derana, the dead included 20 inmates and five prison officers. Around 100 others were reportedly injured in the clashes.

As the situation deteriorated, the government sent in military personnel to help restore order. Police opened fire in an attempt to control the violence after a new disturbance broke out inside the prison on the country’s west coast.

The unrest is believed to have started with a confrontation between inmates and prison officers, which soon escalated into large-scale violence.

Those injured in the clashes have been admitted to nearby hospitals and are receiving treatment.

This latest violence follows another incident on Sunday, when two inmates were killed and 38 others injured in a clash between remand prisoners and convicted inmates.

Subsequently, authorities have tightened security around the prison, which houses 2,417 inmates, and launched an investigation to determine what triggered the deadly unrest.