By Tim Katoga
The attack in the town of Dera Ismail Khan began with huge explosions midnight. Gunmen then opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns, police Chief Sohail Khalid confirmed. It is believed that about 70 attackers were dressed in police uniforms.
The assault took place in a town situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, next to Pakistan’s restive mountainous tribal region. The town’s prison held hundreds of Taliban and militants from banned groups. As a result, 243 prisoners managed to escape during the audacious prison attack.
Twelve people, including six police officers were killed by the gunmen during the gun battle that lasted around three to four hours.
Mushtaq Jadoon, the town’s civil commissioner said that 30 militants who were jailed for their involvement in major attacks and/or suicide bombings were among those who escaped after the militants’ assault on the prison. Mr Jadoon went on to say that the attackers used loudhailers to call the names of the particular inmates – those whom they the militants were after.
Out of the 243 prisoners who escaped, 14 of them were later re-captured by police, said Mr Jadoon. Police are still hunting for the remaining escapees, but some believe that this will be a rather difficult task as the prisoners are more likely to flee into local tribal areas.
