300 prisoners escape Pakistani Jail

In a major Talibani attack at a prison in Pakistan’s northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan in South Waziristan, 300 inmates escape on Monday night.

According to the jail officials 50 to 60 attackers with guns and bombs attacked the jail and several inmates, four security guards and two attackers were killed in the attack.

“They detonated about 60 bombs inside the facility which caused the collapse of prison wall. The assailants succeeded in freeing more than 300 prisoners,” Malik Qasim Khattak, advisor to the ministry of prisons said.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed the responsibility.

“We had sent around 150 fighters including a squad of suicide bombers. The aim was to free the inmates and it was a successful action as Taliban managed to free at least 300 prisoners,” said Shahidullah Shahid, spokesperson of TTP.

Khalid Abbas, deputy inspector general of prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province told reporters  that the intensity of the attack was so powerful that jail authority and administration had to call military.

“The biggest problem for the security forces was to identify the militants as they too were wearing police uniforms. There was complete blackout and it was very much difficult on whom to open fire”, Abbas added.

Dera Ismail Khan Prison is one of the biggest prisons in Pakistan with housing of 5000 prisoners including several militants.

(Additional input from TNN)

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