Following an incident of unrest that erupted at the Matara Prison this afternoon (22), the Police Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to secure the perimeter of the prison facility, according to Sri Lanka Latest News.
The situation escalated when a group of inmates reacted violently after an attempt was made to transfer a detainee to another prison. In response, a number of prisoners exited one of the wards and began protesting in an unruly manner.
To bring the situation under control, prison officials were compelled to fire warning shots into the air.
Prison sources report that the disturbance has now been brought under control to a certain extent, though heightened security measures remain in place.
