Sarposa prison tunneling escape of 2011
Prison escape in Afghanistan
31°37′08″N 65°40′05″E / 31.61889°N 65.66806°E / 31.61889; 65.66806 The Sarposa Prison tunneling escape was the escape of around 475 prisoners from Sarposa Prison in Kandahar by tunnel in April 2011. The tunnel was dug from the outside. It was reported that at least 71 of the escapees were recaptured within days.[1][2]
Escape
The tunnel used for the escape reportedly took several months to build, was over a hundred meters long, and used sophisticated techniques involving electricity, ventilation, and potentially the assistance of engineers. The tunnel ended in a house outside the prison that had been searched by security forces just two and a half months prior, yet with no suspicious activity reported. However, reports have speculated whether it would have been possible to conduct the substantial earth-removal required for the construction of the tunnel without security forces being alerted.[3]
Outcome
In the end, around 475 prisoners at the central jail managed to escape. At least 71 of the escaped prisoners were reportedly recaptured.[1][2]
Reports and commentary following the outbreak focused on the extent that prison officials might been complicit in the escape, and on whether the escaped prisoners could be expected to join in large-scale attacks. Political assassinations in the Kandahar area were reportedly down in the last year, but suspicions about government officials, and their inability to protect civilians, had remained high. In response to the escape, the Afghan Uniformed Police established a checkpoint directly across the highway from the prison, directly above the tunnel exit.[citation needed] The security around the prison was also greatly enhanced by coalition and Afghan forces.[citation needed]
Investigation
The head of the team investigating the escape, Mohammed Tahir, further cemented the likelihood of complicity from a number of people.[citation needed] He described the tunnel as so carefully planned and sophisticated that it appeared that engineers, not merely men with shovels, must have been involved. "The tunnel was dug in a very professional way," said Tahir. "They have used an electrical system and a ventilation system and small shovels and pickaxes for digging and wheelbarrows for removing the soil."[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Recaptured Afghan insurgents tell of tunnel escape". The Express Tribune. April 27, 2011.
- ^ a b Thom, Shankar (July 13, 2011). "To Track Militants, U.S. Has System That Never Forgets a Face". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Afghan Officials Try to Limit Damage From Prison Break, by Alissa J. Rubin. The New York Times. April 26, 2011.
External links
- Reuters report
- The Taliban's version: [1]
 | This article about the history of Afghanistan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e
