Clashes break out in Sri Lankan jail, 26 dead, over 100 hurt

Security personnel stand guard outside a prison where deadly clashes broke out on Sunday, in Negombo, 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the capital Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo)

Clashes broke out inside a prison in the outskirts of Sri Lanka’s capital, killing at least 26 people and injuring more than 100, officials and a TV station reported Monday. Police said the unrest at the prison in Negombo, about 35 kilometres north of the capital, Colombo, began on Sunday and continued on Monday.Sri Lankan justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara Monday took responsibility for the unrest. “This is an institution under my purview; hence, I take responsibility. Seven prison officials and 19 inmates have died,” Nanayakkara said. He said that the situation had been brought under control.Preliminary findings have revealed that the violence is believed to have erupted between a group allegedly supporting drug trafficking activities within the prison and another group opposed to such activities.