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Armoury raided, officials held hostage; Police, Navy foil Tangalle jailbreak

by Ranil Wijayapala and Ranga Jayasuriya

A group of inmates of the Tangalle Prison have raided its armoury last afternoon and taken 14 officials hostage, Tangalla police said.

Swift action by the police and sailors from the nearby Navy camp prevented a jailbreak by the rioting prisoners who took control of the prison.

None of the prisoners had been able to escape as Police and sailors surrounded the prison shortly after the mutiny. "The Police and Security Forces have completely surrounded the prison now. No one will be able to get out," a police spokesman added.

Elite Army commandos specialising in hostage rescue operations have been airlifted to Tangalle and are awaiting further instructions. "They will not take any hasty action but monitor the situation till morning," police said.

Police imposed a curfew in the Tangalle Municipality from 6 pm yesterday.

The rioting prisoners, many of whom are believed to be Army deserters, have seized 12 T 56 rifles and 24 magazines after storming the armoury. Some of them are reported to be wearing jailors' uniforms which had been forcibly taken from the officials. One prison officer and one policemen had been injured in the initial rioting.

The incident took place around 3 pm in the prison located in a high security area between the Police station and the Naval Camp in Tangalle.

Police said one prison officer had been released late yesterday and asked to fetch a vehicle for the rioters to flee.

Some 12 prisoners tried to force their way out of the prison and attacked an officer who attempted to prevent them from breaking the main door of the remand prison, the police said. Some officers managed to leave the premises to call for help but the others were taken hostage and locked up in a cell, the Police added.

The prison has around 450 inmates, but the police said only a "small number" was taking part in the mutiny. Most detainees are underworld gangsters and deserters of Armed Forces, Police said.

In a bid to regain control of the prison, Naval troops from the nearby Navy camp and Army reinforcements from Matara rushed to Tangalle soon after the incident, Police added.

The decision to impose a curfew in the area was taken to prevent any civilians from being taken hostage by any fleeing prisoners, Police added. 

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