Taliban Raid Frees Hundreds of Inmates

At least four people have been killed and dozens injured in a Taliban suicide auto bomb attack on the outskirts of Kabul, said police.

Nasir Ahmad Faqiri, a member of the provincial council, said that there had been indications that day that the Taliban were preparing to attack.

Taliban fighters raided the main prison in the southern province of Ghazni early on Monday, freeing hundreds of inmates after detonating explosives at the entrance and killing police guards, Afghan officials said. The attack took place on Wednesday on the edges of the Afghan capital, said the police.

In a statement, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said there were 436 prisoners in the jail when it was stormed by the Taliban, and 355 managed to escape, reports Khaama Press. However, he added that 20 of the prison’s most risky inmates had been transferred to a different facility Sunday following a fight, AP reported.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on the Ghazni prison in an email sent to the media.

Kajaki in Helmand Province fell in the hands of the Taliban fighters after their heavy attacks against Afghan military bases in the district. Afghanistan has witnessed escalating violence since the insurgents launched their spring offensive in April.almost 1,600 civilians were killed and 3,329 injured in the first half of this year, according to United Nations figures.North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ended its combat mission in Afghanistan last December and pulled out the bulk of its troops, although a 13,000-strong residual force remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.