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| Altered Letter Fools Afghans and 10 Flee From Prison | Altered Letter Fools Afghans and 10 Flee From Prison |
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| KABUL, Afghanistan — For the fourth time in a decade, Taliban insurgents have escaped from the heavily guarded Sarposa Prison in Kandahar, Afghan officials confirmed on Sunday. | |
| The prison break on Tuesday was smaller than previous episodes, in which hundreds of prisoners escaped, but it was particularly embarrassing. This time, someone altered an official document, letting at least 10 prisoners walk out the front gate unchallenged, officials said. | The prison break on Tuesday was smaller than previous episodes, in which hundreds of prisoners escaped, but it was particularly embarrassing. This time, someone altered an official document, letting at least 10 prisoners walk out the front gate unchallenged, officials said. |
| The escapees were believed to be among the most prominent insurgents being held at Sarposa on terrorism charges, followers of a particularly notorious Taliban commander, Mullah Dad Mohammad Munib, who specialized in orchestrating assassinations and suicide bombings. | The escapees were believed to be among the most prominent insurgents being held at Sarposa on terrorism charges, followers of a particularly notorious Taliban commander, Mullah Dad Mohammad Munib, who specialized in orchestrating assassinations and suicide bombings. |
| “This is humiliating,” said Hajji Agha Lalai, a member of the Kandahar Provincial Council, who like many officials said it was clear that the escapees had help from inside the prison. | “This is humiliating,” said Hajji Agha Lalai, a member of the Kandahar Provincial Council, who like many officials said it was clear that the escapees had help from inside the prison. |
| Afghan officials did not confirm the prison break until Sunday, but the Taliban were quick to trumpet their success. “Through cleverly managed tactics we have freed 23 of our brave mujahedeen from the Kandahar prison,” Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, the spokesman for the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, said in an email to reporters in Kandahar. | Afghan officials did not confirm the prison break until Sunday, but the Taliban were quick to trumpet their success. “Through cleverly managed tactics we have freed 23 of our brave mujahedeen from the Kandahar prison,” Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, the spokesman for the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, said in an email to reporters in Kandahar. |
| Afghan government officials said that only 10 prisoners had escaped. According to Perwaiz Najeeb, chief of staff in the Kandahar governor’s office, an official letter in the Pashto language sent from the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence agency, originally listed 18 prisoners scheduled for release. It was altered to read 28 prisoners, and the names of the 10 insurgents were added, he said. | Afghan government officials said that only 10 prisoners had escaped. According to Perwaiz Najeeb, chief of staff in the Kandahar governor’s office, an official letter in the Pashto language sent from the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence agency, originally listed 18 prisoners scheduled for release. It was altered to read 28 prisoners, and the names of the 10 insurgents were added, he said. |
| Zia Durani, a spokesman for the provincial police chief, confirmed that account. “In Pashto it is easy to convert a 1 into a 2 and make it 28 instead of 18,” he said. “We are trying to find out who was involved in this trickery.” | Zia Durani, a spokesman for the provincial police chief, confirmed that account. “In Pashto it is easy to convert a 1 into a 2 and make it 28 instead of 18,” he said. “We are trying to find out who was involved in this trickery.” |
| Mr. Lalai, of the provincial council, said 11 prison officials had left with the Taliban prisoners and had not been seen since. “It indicates that a deal was made to release them,” he said, “and this is a humiliating development for all security forces inside and outside the prison.” | Mr. Lalai, of the provincial council, said 11 prison officials had left with the Taliban prisoners and had not been seen since. “It indicates that a deal was made to release them,” he said, “and this is a humiliating development for all security forces inside and outside the prison.” |
| “All I can say is that the release form was not issued from the center here in Kabul,” said Gen. Salaam Asmat, an official of the Afghan attorney general’s office. He said that an investigation was underway and that two people had been detained so far. | “All I can say is that the release form was not issued from the center here in Kabul,” said Gen. Salaam Asmat, an official of the Afghan attorney general’s office. He said that an investigation was underway and that two people had been detained so far. |
| International donors have twice paid to rebuild the Sarposa prison to increase its security standards in the wake of previous breakouts. It now holds 2,600 prisoners, of which about 1,500 are insurgents. In 2008, Taliban fighters attacked the prison, with a suicide bomber driving a truck full of explosives into the gate. Once it was blown open, 30 insurgents poured in, killing 15 guards and freeing 1,200 prisoners in one of the biggest prison breaks in modern history. | International donors have twice paid to rebuild the Sarposa prison to increase its security standards in the wake of previous breakouts. It now holds 2,600 prisoners, of which about 1,500 are insurgents. In 2008, Taliban fighters attacked the prison, with a suicide bomber driving a truck full of explosives into the gate. Once it was blown open, 30 insurgents poured in, killing 15 guards and freeing 1,200 prisoners in one of the biggest prison breaks in modern history. |
| Canadian officials rebuilt the prison after the 2008 attack, making its walls and gates impenetrable. Then in 2011, the insurgents tunneled under the new walls for nearly a quarter-mile to the other side of a highway, enabling at least 476 of their prisoners to escape into waiting cars. After that, the American military helped to rebuild the prison, and there were no further escapes until the bureaucratic breakout on Tuesday. | Canadian officials rebuilt the prison after the 2008 attack, making its walls and gates impenetrable. Then in 2011, the insurgents tunneled under the new walls for nearly a quarter-mile to the other side of a highway, enabling at least 476 of their prisoners to escape into waiting cars. After that, the American military helped to rebuild the prison, and there were no further escapes until the bureaucratic breakout on Tuesday. |
| There was also a smaller escape from the prison several years before the 2008 breakout. | There was also a smaller escape from the prison several years before the 2008 breakout. |