18 Al-Qaeda inmates escape from prison

Aden April 15 (IANS) Eighteen inmates of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda branch managed to escape from a prison controlled by the Shiite Houthi rebels in Al-Bayda province an official has said.

According to the security source who preferred to remain anonymous the escape followed a rebellion that erupted on Saturday inside the Political Security (Intelligence) prison controlled by Houthis in Al-Bayda province Xinhua news agency reported.

"The guards around the prison who were badly injured failed to resist or put down the prisoners rebellion " the source said.

"Even the weapons of the guards were seized by the al-Qaida inmates who fled to unknown locations " the source added.

The Al-Qaeda network mostly operating in eastern and southern provinces has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces in the country.

Scores of Al-Qaeda militants are engaged in the ongoing fighting against the Shiite Houthis in Al-Bayda province and other Yemeni provinces.

--IANS
pgh/