Inmates beheaded in Guatemala prison gang violence
At least seven inmates have been killed, most of them beheaded, in clashes between rival gangs at a prison in western Guatemala.
PRETORIA, May 20 (ANA) – At least seven inmates have been killed, most of them beheaded, in clashes between rival gangs at a prison in western Guatemala, Al Jazeera quoted officials as saying on Thursday.
The broadcaster said the fight broke out in Cantel prison, which houses inmates from both the Mara Salvatrucha gang and their arch-enemies, the Barrio 18.
“Preliminarily, the death of seven inmates is known,” the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement, describing the situation as a riot.
The Daily Star said13 security guards were taken hostage during the fighting.
Citing local media, the BBC reported that the deadly fight broke out after one of the inmates ordered the attack on rival gang members in retaliation for the murder of his wife, who had been shot dead by two men on motorbikes hours earlier.
According to the source, the inmate behind the violence is serving a sentence for murder, wrote the BBC.
However, the spokesperson for the National Civil Police (PNC), Jorge Aguilar, told AFP: “One of the gangs attacked the other in retaliation for an incident that took place several days ago.”
The French news agency said gang violence and riots are common at the Cantel prison, which has been condemned by human rights groups for its grim conditions.
According to the police, the prison was built to house 500 inmates but houses more than four times that number, wrote AFP.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher