Taliban free over 200 inmates from Pakistan jail

Taliban militants have freed more than 240 prisoners in an assault on a prison in north-west Pakistan, officials say. The attack on the jail in the north-western town of Dera Ismail Khan began with explosions at around midnight on Monday, before gunmen opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, police chief Sohail Khalid said. Some of the attackers - estimated to number up to 70 - were dressed in police uniform as they attacked the jail which houses hundreds of Taliban and militants from banned groups. Twelve people, including six police officers, were killed in the gun battle which raged for three to four hours. The town of Dera Ismail Khan's, where the jail is, civil commissioner Mushtaq Jadoon said that 243 prisoners had escaped, including 30 hardened militants jailed for their involvement in major attacks or suicide bombings, adding that 14 fugitives were later re-arrested by police. Mr Jadoon also said that attackers used loudhailers to call the names of the specific militants they wanted to locate inside the jail. A curfew has now been imposed in the area as police hunt for the remaining escaped prisoners.