3 inmates escaped from Kandahar jail

KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Three prisoners had escaped from the central jail in southern Kandahar province by squeezing through a gate, despite tight security measures inside and outside the facility, officials said on Thursday.

Five prisoners attempted the jailbreak, but three were able to flee, deputy police chief, Col. Rahmatullah Atrafi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said the fleeing men had used fake stamps issued to visitors and had already broken fence of their cell. He said four prison guards and an officer had been detained for dereliction of duty and the charge of facilitating the inmates to escape.

Prison officials said up to 2,000 prisoners were being held at the central jail much beyond its capacity. The overcrowding has been a reason behind jailbreaks, they said.

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