3 dead in attack on Afghan city jail, scores of prisoners flee

An attack, claimed by Islamic State on a jail compound in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, killed at least three persons and injured dozens.

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The attack triggers heavy fighting, in which scores of prisoners escaped, an official said.

Sohrab Qaderi, a provincial council member, said a huge car bomb explosion was followed by at least two smaller blasts, outside the government-run prison, and that Police then fought attackers who had taken up positions nearby.

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Islamic State’s Amaq news agency quoted a military source as saying its fighters had carried out Sunday’s attack but gave no further details.

There was no independent confirmation that the militant group was responsible.

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“At least three people were dead and 25 injured in the ongoing clashes,’’ Qaderi said.

“More than 50 prisoner escaped and the death toll could rise, he added.

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The assault happened on the third and final day of a ceasefire between the Afghan government and the Taliban, when hundreds of Taliban prisoners were released in an attempt to make a final push for intra-Afghan peace talks.

The Taliban was not responsible for the attack, a spokesman for the Islamist group said.

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President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban have both indicated that long-delayed negotiations could begin immediately after the Eid al-Adha festival, which took place in Kabul on Thursday.

The Taliban says it has freed all 1,000 Afghan prisoners it had pledged to release in a deal with the United States.

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Reuters

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