14 escape after Afghan jail break

More than a dozen prisoners, including criminals and members of the Taliban, have escaped from a jail in northern Afghanistan, officials said today.

A bomb was detonated on the outside of one of the prison walls last night, and the prisoners escaped through the rubble, according to Abdul Jabar Haqbeen, the governor of Sar-e-Pul province.

He said guards opened fire, killing three prisoners. Many were recaptured but authorities are still looking for 14 who managed to escape.

A member of the provincial council, Abdul Ghani, said inmates made the bomb inside the compound and blew up a prison tower. He added that he fears the jail break will mean deteriorating security in the province.