Sri Lanka Deploys Troops to Quell Deadly Riot at Overcrowded Prison

Colombo, Aug 2026 : Sri Lanka deployed hundreds of military personnel and elite commandos on Sunday to restore order at an overcrowded prison near the capital after a riot left one inmate dead and six others injured, police said.

The violence erupted on Saturday at Mahara Prison, located just outside Colombo, where inmates reportedly destroyed several buildings and facilities. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Sanjeewa Medawatte said the situation was brought under control after security reinforcements were deployed.

“We got reinforcements from the armed forces and the Special Task Force commandos to restore order and send the inmates back to their cells,” Medawatte told reporters outside the prison.

According to police, the inmates caused extensive damage to prison infrastructure, destroying the kitchen, hospital, a newly constructed rehabilitation building and vocational training facilities.

The latest incident has once again highlighted the severe overcrowding and difficult conditions prevailing in Sri Lanka’s prison system. Mahara Prison was reportedly housing around 4,100 inmates, nearly four times its official capacity.

Overcrowding has become a persistent problem in the country’s prisons, with a large proportion of inmates being remand prisoners awaiting trial. More than three-quarters of Sri Lanka’s prison population consists of such detainees, many of whom are being held in connection with drug-related offences.

The latest riot also revived memories of previous deadly violence at the same facility. In November 2020, a prison riot at Mahara left 11 inmates dead and nearly 120 others injured after security forces opened fire to contain the unrest.

The new violence occurred less than a month after another deadly prison riot in the same region, in which 10 guards and 21 inmates were killed, further raising concerns over prison security and overcrowding.

Authorities had announced plans last month to convert unused government buildings into prison facilities as part of efforts to address the shortage of space.

Security forces remained deployed at Mahara Prison following Sunday’s operation to ensure that the inmates remained inside their cells and to prevent any further disturbances.

The government is expected to review the circumstances surrounding the riot, including the causes of the unrest and the extensive damage to prison facilities. The incident has renewed calls for improved prison infrastructure, better management of overcrowding and faster processing of cases involving remand prisoners.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)