Troops deployed in Sri Lanka to contain prison unrest

On Friday, Sri Lankan authorities deployed heavily armed troops to the country's primary maximum-security prison, Welikada Prison, following a failed breakout attempt by inmates, according to officials. The unrest, which began on Thursday night, prompted the deployment of hundreds of soldiers and police commandos to secure the prison perimeter.

The situation escalated when around midnight, dozens of convicts broke out of their cells and scaled the roof of a prison building, leading to clashes with guards. Prison officials reported that nine inmates sustained injuries during the disturbances.

Despite the initial breach, the situation was reportedly under control by early Friday morning. However, similar unrest was also reported at another prison in Kuruwita, located approximately 80 kilometers southeast of Colombo. At Kuruwita, four inmates were injured in the clashes, as confirmed by prison officials. This unrest is part of a series of prison riots that have occurred since July.

Between July and September, a total of 10 prison guards and 23 inmates have been killed in two separate incidents at prisons outside Colombo.

The root cause of these disturbances is attributed to overcrowding within the prison system. Sri Lanka's prisons currently hold about four times the number of inmates they were designed to accommodate. In an effort to address this issue, the government announced plans last month to convert disused state buildings into new prisons. However, these new facilities have not been constructed yet.

As of now, over three-quarters of the inmates in Sri Lanka are remand prisoners, awaiting trial. The majority of these detainees are being held in connection with drug offenses, contributing to the existing prison overcrowding problem.