Militants of the terrorist organization “Islamic State”* attacked a prison in the eastern part of Afghanistan.
This is reported by the Associated Press, citing a local official.
According to media reports, the incident took place last evening in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. The assault on the prison began with an attack by a suicide bomber who crashed a car bomb into the prison gate. After that, the main forces of the jihadists crept inside and opened fire on the guards.
The provincial governor’s administration said that by Monday morning, three attackers had been eliminated, however, the fighting continues to this day. Moreover, some of the militants took refuge in a nearby residential area, from where shots are also heard. Now civilians are being evacuated from here. The prison itself is surrounded by security forces. Armored vehicles were involved in the operation.
At the moment, it is known about the death of at least 21 people, including civilians. Another 43 people were injured as a result of the assault. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. Although the motives behind the attack are unclear, AP sources said that taking advantage of the incident, some of the prisoners escaped. It is worth noting that of the 1,500 criminals held in prison, several hundred were considered members of IS.
* – prohibited in the Russian Federation