Captured members of the ISIS and Taliban from Pakistan are speculated to be among several hundreds of inmates who escaped from the Jalalabad prison, following an attack for which dreaded terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility.
The terror attack that left at least 29 people dead, began late on Sunday when a suicide bomber slammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the entrance of the prison, which housed about 2,000 inmates.
There have been speculations that prisoners who escaped were mostly captured Taliban terrorists both from Afghstan and Pakistan. Pakistan's notorious spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which has been instrumental in the creation of the ISIS in Afghstan is interested in gaining strategic ground in Kabul, where the US and NATO forces have begun the withdrawal of troops paving the way for the Taliban to return to power.
According to a Washington Post report, the prison facility held terrorists linked to Islamic State as well as the Taliban. It is well known that the Taliban is trained and armed by Pakistan's ISI in order to gain influence in Afghstan.
The Washington Post report stated that "Afghan officials have repeatedly alleged links between the Taliban and the Islamic State in the past, claiming that the groups aid each other in carrying out attacks and share training pipelines."
"At the time of the incident, 1,793 prisoners were in the prison, 1,025 were recaptured by police ... during the escape, 430 prisoners were rescued alive, some were killed and wounded," Attaullah Khugy, spokesperson for the governor of Nangarhar province was quoted as saying in a statement after Afghan forces retook the prison
"... So far, 29 people have been killed in the incident, including civilians, security forces and prisoners, and more than 50 others have been injured," Khogy said adding that eight attackers were killed. Some of the prisoners are missing, the Nangarhar governor's spokesman added, pledging to share information about them later.
The attack on the Jalalabad prison, even though claimed by ISIS, in many ways resembles previous terror attacks by the Taliban.
A Taliban raid on a prison in Ghazni in 2015 freed more than 350 prisoners, Washington Post report said while adding "that attack also began with a car bomb that breached the complex's perimeter" before terrorists "stormed the buildings."
The report also stated that "after news broke of the Jalalabad prison raid, two Afghan security officials said the attack could have been carried out by a Taliban splinter group upset by the push for direct peace talks."
The fight between Afghan forces and terrorists in Nangarhar prison in Jalalabad, which claimed at least 29 lives, has ended after almost 18 hours, reported TOLO news on Monday quoting Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Afghstan Defence Ministry.
He further said the prison is now under the control of Afghan forces.
( With inputs from ANI )