Hundreds of prisoners at large after Pakistan jailbreak

PAKISTAN: Dozens of prisoners who fled a jail in northwestern Pakistan after armed militants attacked it have returned but hundreds remained at large on Monday, an official said.

More than 150 heavily-armed Islamists Sunday stormed the prison outside the restive town of Bannu near the lawless tribal region where Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants have carved out their stronghold.

"Fifty-three prisoners out of the total 384, who had escaped the jail, have returned voluntarily while 11 others were arrested," senior Bannu police official Iftikhar Khan told AFP.

Most of those who escaped were militants, including 34 condemned prisoners. A woman prisoner was one of those who surrended.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which he said was launched to get their special members freed.

AFP