Forty inmates escaped from a prison north of Baghdad late Friday after overpowering guards, according to a spokesperson for Iraq's Interior Ministry, reported AFP. The chaos left as many as ten Iraqi policemen dead, security officials told Reuters. Interior Ministry officials reported 30 inmates dead.
The prison in Al-Khalis, 80 km north of Baghdad, was holding 300 people charged with acts of “terrorism,” according to officials. It was unclear if any high-profile prisoners were being held in the facility.
“The inmates started fighting among themselves which drew the attention of the police guards who went to break up the fight,” an anonymous police source told Reuters. The prisoners were able to attack the guards and take their weapons, according to the source.
