Pakistani Taliban assault prison, free hundreds of inmates

Taliban fighters armed with mortars and grenades have attacked a prison in northwest Pakistan, escaping with about 250 prisoners after a gunfight with security forces, officials have said.

Officials say 12 people, including four policemen, were killed in the attack that lasted for at least three hours.   Seven policemen were wounded in the assault on the prison in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, close to the lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan where Taliban and al-Qaida-linked insurgents are active.

Authorities say at least six prisoners who escaped have been captured.  Army soldiers were called in as reinforcements.

Authorities have imposed a curfew on Dera Ismail Khan. Police and soldiers have sealed off the area.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying about 150 militants were involved, including several suicide bombers. The spokesman declared the attack a success.

Residents living near the prison say they heard several large explosions before the attackers opened fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Provincial prisons chief Khalid Abbas said the electricity supply to the jail had been blown up before the attack.

About 5,000 inmates live in the prison, including as many as 250 convicted terrorists. About 40 are so-called “high-profile” prisoners.

Monday night’s violence came hours before Pakistani politicians were to choose the country’s new president.

The replacement for Asif Ali Zardari will be elected on Tuesday by the members of both houses of parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

Source: The Times Of Earth / Agencies