Troops hunt for Afghan prison escapees

Afghan and foreign troops were hunting on Saturday hundreds of prisoners, including militants, who escaped the main prison in southern Kandahar city after a raid by Taliban insurgents, the government said.

Authorities have also launched a probe to find out if any government officials were involved in the commando-style attack by several dozen Taliban fighters under darkness on Friday.

So far none of the prisoners have been tracked down, deputy justice minister Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, told Reuters.

"It was a very unprecedented attack and together with foreign forces, an operation has been launched to track down and arrest the prisoners."

Hashimzai said some 1,000 inmates, including up to 400 Taliban, were held in the prison before the attack.

He could not say how many had managed to escape, adding there were casualties among police, the Taliban and prisoners from a clash following the attack which began with a suicide bomber driving a truck into the jail gate.

Several dozen Taliban, armed with rocket propelled grenades and assault rifles then stormed the mud-built compound and started to free the prisoners which apart from militants included women and suspected criminals.

"Government officials are busy finding out what really happened. We are trying to find out that if there was any inside help," Hashimzai said.

On Saturday morning, life appeared normal in Kandahar city. There were no visible signs of heavy security or checkpoints on key roads leading out of the city. But dozens of police and army soldiers were deployed outside the badly damaged prison.

They ordered vehicles to move away from the road which is only meters away from the jail. A pile of rubble caused from the collapse of two towers of the jail along with its broken gate could be seen.