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In the late hours of August 2nd, ISIS terrorists attacked a prison compound in Jalalabad and engaged in a battle with Afghan security forces.
At least 32 people have been killed, and 60 more wounded, Al Jazeera’s Bilal Sarwary reported.
ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as IS in Khorasan province, claimed responsibility for the attack. The affiliate is headquartered in Nangarhar province.
The prison houses about 1,500 inmates, of which several hundred are believed to belong to the ISIS group affiliate in Afghanistan.
A Taliban spokesperson said on Twitter that the group was not involved in the attack, which came on the final day of a rare truce between it and the Afghan government to mark the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday.
#AFG “At least 32 people killed. At least 60 people wounded. There are 10 to 12 dead bodies in one part of the prison alone, the bodies can’t be picked up.”, a member of the Afghan Special Forces involved in the operations tells me.
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 3, 2020
#AFG My live hit with @TRTWorldNow @trtworld pic.twitter.com/aVwEfn7V8p
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 3, 2020
Sarwary also reported that according to prisoners inside the prison, there are between 30 and 35 attackers who have taken over the prison.
“Some of the attackers cannot speak Pashto or Dari.They speak a foreign language. The attackers want to burn down the prison.”
Video: Afghan commando in #Jalalabad talks about prison assault and says number of attackers may be "over twenty." pic.twitter.com/dhm3B2MU05
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 3, 2020
As of reports of the time of writing, 12:00 Afghanistan time, 3 of the ISIS militants have been killed and clashes to retake the prison continue.
#Nangarhar update: Three attackers were killed, but militants continue to fight in the Jalalabad prison & a nearby mall, said Attaullah Khogyani, the governor's spokesman. pic.twitter.com/jq78H9zUw4
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 3, 2020
Video: Victims of the #Jalalabad attack receive medical care in the city's hospital. pic.twitter.com/GKu45dLLdv
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 3, 2020
The attack entered its 13th hour and is still continuing with Afghan security forces slowly recapturing the prison. They are operating carefully in order to preserve the lives of the prisoners, as well as of the security personnel themselves.
Approximately 700 prisoners escaped and were re-arrested by security forces.
#NANGARHAR – Another credible source confirmed that the clash inside the prison is still ongoing, and said that 700 inmates who fled the prison have been re-captured (A total of 1,500 inmates were in the prison).
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 3, 2020
#NANGARHAR – Video on social media: Recaptured inmate who fled the attacked prison in Jalalabad speaks about the incident. pic.twitter.com/DYcV9nfMNz
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 3, 2020
#NANGARHAR – So far three attackers were killed in the clash, and the total number of attackers is unknown, Khogyani said. But soon the remaining attackers will also be taken out, he said.
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 3, 2020
On May 12th, a suicide bomber killed 32 mourners at a funeral for a police commander in the province, in one of the deadliest attacks this year also claimed by ISIS.
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