Sept. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Police in the Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives arrested suspected leaders of riots that took place at the weekend in the capital, Male, Agence France-Presse said, citing local residents.

Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said those behind the first street violence in 15 years will be prosecuted, AFP reported, citing remarks he made yesterday at a cabinet meeting. The report didn't say how many people were detained. Two police stations, the high court, the election office and police vehicles were set on fire during the violence, AFP reported at the time.

The riots were sparked by the deaths of two prisoners at an island prison off Male. A third prisoner died in a hospital in Sri Lanka yesterday, AFP said. He was among at least 10 people injured in the prison who were taken for treatment in Sri Lanka.

Calm returned to Male, a city of 80,000, located on a 1.6- kilometer (1-mile) long island, after Gayoom announced the arrest of five National Security Service officers involved in the prisoners' deaths and promised an independent investigation, AFP said. Gayoom, who has been in power in the Sunni Muslim nation of 250,000 people for 25 years, is seeking reelection in November.

(Agence France-Presse 9-23) the news agency's Web site.