COLOMBO (News 1st); A deadly confrontation between two rival groups linked to drug trafficking and organized crime has left 26 people dead, including seven prison officers, in what authorities describe as one of the most serious prison disturbances in Sri Lanka's recent history.…

COLOMBO (News 1st); A deadly confrontation between two rival groups linked to drug trafficking and organized crime has left 26 people dead, including seven prison officers, in what authorities describe as one of the most serious prison disturbances in Sri Lanka's recent history.More than 100 injured individuals are currently receiving treatment at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama, and the Negombo District General Hospital following the violence that engulfed the Negombo Prison.The unrest intensified this morning when prison officers entered inmate wards to distribute breakfast.According to prison authorities, officers came under attack when a fresh confrontation erupted among inmates. Prisoners allegedly hurled stones and other objects at officers attempting to restore order.Scenes from the prison showed injured prison officers and inmates being evacuated as the situation rapidly deteriorated.Prisons Department Spokesman A.C. Gajanayake said the violence escalated after prison officers attempted to intervene in a renewed confrontation between inmate groups."This morning, when prison officers went to provide breakfast to the inmates, another confrontation erupted among them. Prison officers present at the scene attempted to control the situation. However, the group turned against the officers and assaulted them. As the injured officers moved towards the main prison gate, they were chased and attacked again. There was also an attempt to break through the prison entrance. Officers stationed there tried to prevent damage to the main access gate and remove the inmates from the area. During that process, a large group once again attacked prison officers. Our officers, with the support of other prison personnel, attempted to bring the situation under control using the minimum force necessary," he said.As the violence intensified, prison authorities sought urgent assistance from the Police and the Police Special Task Force (STF), who were called in to defend the prison's main entrance and prevent inmates from breaching critical security points.The situation was further complicated as large numbers of relatives gathered outside the prison after reports of casualties began to emerge. Tensions rose as family members demanded information about the welfare of inmates inside the facility.With the unrest continuing to spread across the prison complex, authorities sought the assistance of the Sri Lanka Air Force to monitor developments from above.A Bell 412 helicopter and Air Force drones were deployed to conduct aerial surveillance and provide real-time intelligence to ground commanders.Subsequently, prison officers re-entered the facility with the support of Police and STF personnel in an operation aimed at regaining control of key sections of the prison and evacuating the wounded.Security personnel eventually managed to secure major areas of the prison, facilitating the transfer of injured persons to hospitals and preventing further escalation.Authorities then began moving inmates out of Negombo Prison to other correctional facilities as part of efforts to restore order.Even during the transfer operation, tensions remained high as relatives attempted to intervene and protest outside the prison.By the afternoon, Army personnel had also been deployed to Negombo as part of the wider security operation.Officials say the situation is now under control, with security significantly tightened inside and around the prison.Investigators believe the violence can be traced back to a confrontation that began at approximately 5.20 p.m. yesterday between two rival groups linked to organized crime and drug trafficking.As the conflict intensified, groups of inmates, including female prisoners, climbed onto rooftops and staged protests from within the prison compound.Although security forces, including the STF, Police, and prison officers, managed to bring the situation substantially under control by last night, two inmates had already been killed and 35 others injured by that stage.Investigations conducted so far have identified alleged organized crime and drug trafficker Suresh Pushpa Kumara as a central figure in the dispute.According to investigators, the violence was triggered after a group of inmates allegedly provided prison authorities with information regarding a covert drug trafficking operation operating from within the prison.Authorities believe those inmates were subsequently targeted and assaulted, sparking a chain of retaliatory violence that escalated into a full-scale prison conflict.Police further stated that Suresh Pushpa Kumara is a close associate of organized crime figure Varna Ranga, better known as "Buru Muna," who is currently being detained at the Boossa Prison."Buru Muna" is a suspect in numerous serious criminal investigations and has been linked to allegations relating to 29 murders.Security officials are continuing investigations into the alleged prison-based narcotics network and the organized crime connections believed to be behind the deadly violence, as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the bloodshed that turned Negombo Prison into the scene of a deadly gang war.