Al-Qaeda suspects escape Iraqi prison

A group of al-Qaeda suspects have managed to make their escape from an Iraqi prison in the southern province of Basra, security sources say.

The men, considered extremely dangerous, are accused of carrying out a number of deadly car bomb attacks across Basra late last year, which killed and wounded dozens of Iraqi civilians.

“Twelve members of al-Qaeda escaped in the early hours of the morning from a prison in the center of Basra,” an Iraqi policeman said on Friday, adding that the men had yet to stand trial.

Iraqi security officials said special teams from the army and police are now conducting a major manhunt operation to track down the fugitives, including searching nearby homes and establishing new checkpoints.

No details were disclosed about how the men escaped. The prison, located about 550 kilometers south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, was formerly a presidential palace.

Opponents of the US military presence in Iraq accuse Americans of aiding and abetting high-profile prisoners escape from Iraqi prisons. They argue that escapees will escalate violence in the war-torn country, creating a situation which the US can use as a pretext to extend its stay.

In September 2010, four senior al-Qaeda members escaped from a US-controlled section of a tightly-guarded Iraqi prison.