Inmates attack police in Sri Lanka prison, 50 injured

COLOMBO - At least 50 policemen and guards were injured in an attack by inmates of a prison in Sri Lanka’s capital Sunday during a search for drugs, a senior police official said.

More than 500 policemen deployed in the search at Colombo’s Welikada prison in Colombo were resisted by inmates wielding clubs and stones, Superintendent of Police Prashantha Jayakody said.

The policemen were outnumbered inside the jail of more than 4,000 inmates.

“The situation has been brought under control and we are trying to identify those involved in the attacks,” Jayakody said.

Similar searches were conducted in eight other smaller prisons throughout the island nation Sunday without incident.

The raids were carried out following information that narcotics including heroin was being used by inmates.

The government has also launched raids nationwide during the past month, arresting more than 11,000 people for possession of heroin, cannabis and other illegal drugs.