Taliban insurgents escape Kandahar prison, says Afghan govt

File photo of Taliban prison

Kandahar:  Afghan officials say more than 400 inmates have escaped from the main prison in Kandahar city. They say many of the men who dug a tunnel out of the facility are Taliban insurgents.

Prison supervisor Ghulam Dastagir Mayar said Monday that they estimate about 476 prisoners escaped through a tunnel they had dug to the outside. He says the jailbreak happened about 11 p.m. on Sunday and that many of those missing were held for working for the insurgency.

Kandahar prison holds about 1,200 inmates.

Police and government officials also confirmed the jailbreak but said they did not have details.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said about 100 of those who escaped are Taliban commanders and many of the others are fighters with the insurgency.