Sri Lanka, April 22 -- UPDATE (12.06 a.m.) - Sri Lanka Police says that the clash between two groups of inmates in the Matara Prison is still continuing with tear gas fired to control the situation.

Tear gas has been used and the Police Special Task Force (STF) has also been called in to help bring the situation under control, police said.

Prison officials have fired shots into the air this evening to control a clash between two groups of inmates at the Matara Prison.

Prison sources have confirmed that the unrest has been brought under control to a considerable extent.

The disturbance is reported to have arisen when prison authorities attempted to transfer an inmate to another correctional facility.

In response to the transfer, a gro...