After taking control of a prison in the Eastern City of Jalalabad, at least 10 fighters from the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed by Afghan security forces, an encounter which ended a siege that caused hundreds of prisoners to escape.
Based on the reports, there were at least 29 casualties amid the prison break that happened Sunday evening. This was after the militants had subsequent clashes with the security forces. Militants were able to take over prison watchtowers which caused the deadly encounters,
According to Reuters, the incident between the two parties happened amid a time where peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are being ushered by the United States. Meanwhile, the Taliban has made it clear that they have also fought against the Islamic State and oppose their beliefs.
In a statement by Attaullah Khugyani, the spokesperson for Nangarhar Province's governor, he said that at the moment, there are still around 300 prisoners who are at large. It was also reported that 1,025 out of the 1,793 prisoners inside the facility tried to escape while 430 did not attempt to break out. He also stated that the rest are still missing.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry also released a statement saying that 10 attackers were killed by Afghan security forces. However, a witness inside the prison and a member of the provincial council claimed that there are more casualties and the number could be around 30.
The attack came after the death of a senior commander of the Islamic State in the hands of special forces. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack and is likely retaliation for their fallen commander.
The Prison Break
On Sunday evening, ISIS gunmen detonated a bomb at the entrance of the prison. The facility held prisoners of war, common criminals, Taliban fighters, and Islamic State militants that were captured in a campaign that happened last month.
One of the prisoners who were trapped inside the prison amid the attack narrated the events through a cellphone on Monday. Identified as Mohammad Idres, the prisoner stated that he could see dead bodies on the ground and that they were very hungry inside trapped in the heat without any water to drink.
Moreover, he also stated how the security forces struggled to advance since ISIS men have taken control of strategic points inside the prison.
Meanwhile, according to The New York Times, Afghan Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Yasin Zia arrived in the area on Monday to oversee the ongoing operations of the special forces.
Khugyani also stated that the 29 people who perished in the siege included prisoners, members of the security forces, and civilians. There were also more than 50 people who were wounded amid the battle.
The whole city of Jalalabad was placed under curfew amid the prison siege.
According to the United Nations, data from last month's report stated that there were around 2,200 ISIS fighters in Afghanistan. It also stated that despite their depleted leadership and lack of territory, the group is still capable of high profile attacks such as the siege.
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