AFGHANISTAN: Heavily armed soldiers surrounded Afghanistan's main high security prison last night after Taliban and al-Qaeda inmates led a revolt that left at least 30 people wounded and possibly several dead.
At least 1,500 prisoners barricaded themselves into the two main wings of Pul-i-Charki prison on the eastern outskirts of Kabul after a riot erupted on Saturday night over new uniform regulations. Bursts of gunfire and cries of "Allahu Akbar" (God is most great) were heard from inside the prison, a cramped Soviet-era facility that many Afghans associated with torture.
Smoke rose into the air, apparently from burning mattresses.
By evening, hundreds of Afghan soldiers backed by rocket launchers and at least 10 tanks moved into position to prevent a mass jailbreak after negotiators failed to end the siege.
"The prisoners have no unity and have different demands" said the deputy justice minister, Muhammad Qasim Hashimzai, at dusk before leaving. "There's no one leader who can talk to us."
Negotiations are due to resume this morning. The minister blamed the prison's 350 Taliban and al-Qaeda inmates for sparking the uprising. He denied reports that seven inmates, including two Taliban, had died, but confirmed 30 injuries.
Nato peacekeepers and US soldiers at the scene did not intervene but a western diplomat, who had received a military briefing on the crisis, said they would act in the event of a jailbreak. "If you had hundreds of dangerous prisoners fleeing into town after dark, I don't think Isaf [ the Nato-led force] would allow that to happen," he said.
The siege started on Saturday night when prisoners in the main block, which houses 1,300 inmates, apparently revolted against an instruction to wear blue uniforms.
They were deemed necessary to prevent a repetition of last month's jailbreak when seven Taliban prisoners walked free during visiting hours. Ten prison guards accused of helping them were arrested.
By yesterday evening the violence had spread to an adjoining blocking housing 750 prisoners, who burned furniture and sheets. Some tried to scale the prison walls. - (Guardian service)