Minister orders investigation into the police-prisoner clash in Sri Lanka's high security prison

Sri Lanka's Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms DEW Gunasekara today ordered an investigation into this morning's clash between the officials and the inmates at Sri Lanka's high security Welikada prison in Colombo that injured at least 44 police officers and several prison officials during a drug raid.

The clash erupted when hundreds of police officers were deployed instead of the prison officials today to inspect the prisoners for drugs and mobile phones possession.

Director of the National hospital Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said 42 injured police officers and 2 prison officials have been brought into the Colombo National Hospital following the clash during a drug raid at the prison this morning. Two of the injured are in critical condition, he said.

According to media reports the prisoners have attacked the policemen, including personnel from the special task force (STF), accompanied by the prison officials with stones and utensils and blocked them from entering their cells.

The authorities charge that the inmates use the mobile phones smuggled into the prison to conduct narcotic trade from their jail cells.

Minister Gunasekara has told the media that the raid was conducted after a court order was obtained and similar raids have been carried out in other prisons in the island.

The Sri Lankan government has intensified efforts to eradicate the drug menace in the country. The raid in the prison was ordered as a part of this effort.

Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya recently said that the government having eliminated the terrorism from the country has now focused to eliminate the drug problem.