Taliban insurgents in military uniform set off a car bomb and stormed an Afghan prison on Monday, freeing hundreds of inmates and killing four policemen as they step up attacks despite a bitter leadership transition.
The brazen attack in the eastern city of Ghazni was reminiscent of the last major Afghan jailbreak in 2011 when nearly 500 Taliban inmates escaped from a prison in the southern province of Kandahar.
The raid, which left bullet-riddled bodies at the entrance of the prison, comes as Afghan forces face their first fighting season against the insurgents without full NATO support.
“Around 2.30 am, six Taliban insurgents wearing military uniforms attacked Ghazni prison. First they detonated a car bomb in front of the gate, fired an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) and then raided the prison,” Deputy Provincial Governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi said. The Interior Ministry said 355 of the prison’s 436 inmates escaped. Most were charged with crimes against national security and other criminal offences.