Taliban gunmen wearing police uniforms attacked a central jail in northwestern Pakistan early Tuesday, allowing about 175 inmates to escape, authorities said.
Around 35 of the escaped prisoners are high-profile militants, said Pervaiz Khattak, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province where the attack took place.
During the fighting that followed the assault at the prison in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, four police officials and five militants were killed, said Shoukat Yousafzai, the provincial information minister.
About 5,000 prisoners are held at the prison.
The gunmen cut off the prison's power supply, then launched the attack from all sides, said Malik Qasim Khan, an adviser to the chief minister on prisons. Multiple explosions were reportedly heard.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Taliban spokesman Shahidaullah Shahid said the group freed around 300 prisoners, a claim that Pakistani army officials denied.
Shahid described the operation as a success.
Bütün xəbərlər Facebook səhifəmizdə
USD
EUR
GBP
RUB