Around 1,200 inmates, including al-Qaeda suspects, fled from a prison during clashes between the pro-government militia and rebel Shiite Houthi group in Central Yemen on Tuesday, officials said.
The clashes erupted Tuesday night after the pro-government militia, Popular Resistance Committees, advanced to areas controlled by opposition rebel Houthi militia around the prison in central Yemeni city of Taiz, state news agency Saba reported.
"Groups of al Qaeda supporters ... today attacked the central prison in the city of Taiz and more than 1,200 of the dangerous prisoners escaped," a security official said, according to Reuters. "Heavy fighting took place near the central prison and the popular committees approached and seized control of the area, but Saleh's forces opened the prison doors."
Locals said they saw the prisoners fleeing in groups from the prison's gates during the clashes, reported Xinhua. Pro-government forces, however, succeeded in taking control over the prison and Houthi-controlled areas around it.
The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, however, blamed the jail break on pro-government militia.It is the third Yemeni prison break since Saudi-led airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels began in March this year, reported BBC.
Taiz, the third largest Yemeni city, was overtaken in March by Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels, who are fighting to reinstate former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
A Saudi Arabia-led coalition of Arab countries are attempting to recapture parts of Northern Yemen from Houthi in order to allow Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, currently in exile in Saudi Arabia, to rule over the country, according to DW.
