Leading members of al Qaeda were among the hundreds of inmates who fled Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison in a daring jailbreak orchestrated by suicide bombers, authorities said Monday.
The incident actually occurred late Sunday, when suicide bombers drove explosive-laden cars into the prison gates, located just outside Baghdad. They then blasted into the facility and sent gunmen to fire mortars and grenade launchers at the guards, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, others in the attack set themselves on the main road to take out security reinforcements that were rushing to the scene, Reuters said..
Ten security officers and four of the militants were killed. The assault lasted hours, going into Monday morning, and control of the prison was only regained after the military sent in helicopters and special forces.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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