Sri Lanka Opposition Says 27 Prisoners Died in a "Massacre" COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's main opposition party on Sunday described the deaths of 27 inmates after a prison riot as a "coldblooded massacre" and demanded a parliamentary investigation into the episode. The authorities have said the prisoners died in a shootout. Mangala Samaraweera, a lawmaker for the United National Party, said that he had been informed that most of the prisoners killed during Friday's clash had been shot by police commandos and soldiers. "It's a massacre that has to be condemned," Mr. Samaraweera said. It shows the breakdown of the rule of law in the country. He said that the information that he had was that most of the dead had been "coldbloodedly gunned down." He said his party had called for a parliamentary committee to be appointed to investigate. Government officials have said the clash erupted when prisoners attacked a search team that went into the Welikada Prison in Colombo on Friday looking for narcotics and communication devices. The prisoners armed themselves by breaking into the armory, the officials said. On Friday night, the prisoners were seen holding up assault rifles from the rooftop and throwing rocks at prison officials. Forty-two people, including police commandos and soldiers, were wounded in the clashes. Mr. Samaraweera said it was illegal for the military to have been sent to intervene at the prison. The opposition also says that prison clashes are frequent in Sri Lanka and that their causes must be examined. At least two prisoners died in another prison revolt in June, and human rights campaigners say the inmates were beaten to death by guards. The prisoners were said to have been linked to the Tamil Tiger rebels who waged a long separatist war against the state before they were defeated in 2009. The government promised an inquiry after that episode, but no results have been announced. Other less-deadly clashes also took place at Welikada this year and in 2010.