A senior security official in Yemen has confirmed al Qaeda militants carried out a successful jail break in Hadramout province on Wednesday. As many as 62 inmates escaped Mukalla prison through a 45-yard tunnel in a well coordinated plan with outside militants.
The official said armed militants began firing at the prison around 8 a.m. while inmates attacked guards inside. After seizing the guards’ weapons, the inmates escaped the prison through the tunnel. At least 57 of the 62 escapees had links to al Qaeda.
The Interior Ministry reports three of the escapees were killed and two others were captured by security forces. An unidentified official reports one prison guard was killed and another was wounded.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said U.S. officials were receiving information about the prison break from Yemeni authorities. "Obviously the instability in Yemen is the kind that al-Qaida feeds on or tries to take advantage, exploit, throughout the world. It's concerning, but our cooperation continues," he said.
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