HUNDREDS of rioting prisoners led by al-Qaeda and Taleban militants were locked in a stand-off with security forces last night after seizing control of a wing of Afghanistans main high-security prison. As night fell the prison, on the eastern edge of Kabul, was ringed by soldiers and police, backed by tanks and armoured personnel carriers, to prevent a break-out. Seven people were killed in the uprising at the Pul-e-Charkhi prison, according to one police officer at the scene. Prison officials said that 30 had been wounded in clashes between inmates and police.The huge, run-down, Soviet-style prison was built in the 1970s, and thousands of Afghans who opposed communist rule were killed and tortured there in the 1980s. It now holds 2,000 inmates, including about 350 Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters. Rioting began in the prisons Block Two on Saturday night. Muhammad Qasim Hashimzai, Afghanistans Deputy Justice Minister, said that prisoners led by al-Qaeda and Taleban militants had taken two female guards hostage during a row over a new prison rule forcing inmates to wear blue uniforms. The uniforms were intended to prevent a repeat of a break-out last month, when seven Taleban suspects escaped by disguising themselves as visitors.
General Mahboub Amiri, head of Kabuls Rapid Reaction Police Force, said that the violence began when Taleban members tried to escape. Prison officials said that inmates had been seen trying to climb the walls, but that none had escaped. Hundreds of prisoners armed with makeshift weapons then barricaded themselves inside the block. Gunfire rang out during the day. Smoke rose from windows as inmates burned mattresses and bedding.
The block was divided into three sections, with one each for political prisoners, ordinary criminals and women. Mr Hashimzai said that prisoners had broken through the divisions, and that there were fears that some female prisoners could have been raped. Four prisoners were wounded while trying to escape, but other injured prisoners were still being held by rioters, Mr Hashimzai said. They have control of the wounded prisoners and they are not giving them to us so that we can treat them. We have doctors and ambulances ready here, he said.
Timur Shah, a gang leader who helped to kidnap Italian aid worker Clementina Cantoni last year, was involved in starting the riot, according to one of the negotiators, Nader Nadeery, of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Mr Hashimzai said last night that negotiations with the prisoners had foundered. Unfortunately, the prisoners have no unity and have different demands. Theres no one leader who can talk to us, he said. He said that prisoners were chanting: Death to (Afghan President Hamid) Karzai, Death to Bush and Death to America.
| Wotta coincidence. I'm sitting here chanting "Death to the nasty bastards!" |
Taliban and al Qaeda militants took control of a wing of the Afghan capitals main high security prison and at least 30 prisoners were wounded in attempts to quell the riot, officials said on Sunday. The unrest erupted on Saturday night after prisoners led by Taliban and al Qaeda militants took two female guards captive during a row over attempts to implement a new rule requiring inmates to wear 
At least three people, including one German soldier from the Nato-led peacekeepers, were killed in two car bomb attacks by Taleban fighters in Kabul yesterday. In the first attack, a man rammed his car into a patrol vehicle belonging to the International Security Assistance Force killing the soldier and himself. âIt was a suicide attack,â Mohammad Akbar, a senior commander for the area, told Reuters. âOne ISAF soldier has been killed, two other ISAF along with three civilians have been wounded.â General