KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian troops are being deployed to the centre of this city at the heart of the Taliban insurgency following a stunning jailbreak that emptied Kandahar’s Sarpoza Prison of more than 1,000 inmates Friday, including numerous Taliban insurgents.
There are reports also that Canadian tanks are rolling into the city to assist. The streets have cleared of residents.
The incident began with a large explosion heard across the city and then gunfire at about 9:30 p.m. local time at the gates to the prison. Sources say all the inmates escaped.
The blast caused an unknown number of casualties, prison director Abdul Qadir told Reuters.
"They (Taliban) used a truck to blow the gate open and all of the guards (at the gate) have been killed and are under rubble," he said by telephone. As he spoke, bursts of gunfire could be heard in the background.
The two officials who declined to be named said the Taliban also fired several rockets at various parts of the mud-built prison. The province is a stronghold of the ousted Taliban movement.
