Afghan forces besiege jail seized by Islamic State, hundreds of prisoners missing

Afghan security forces transport detained prisoners who escaped from a jail after insurgents attacked a jail compound in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, August 3, 2020.REUTERS/Parwiz

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghan security forces laid siege to a prison seized by Islamic State fighters in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Monday, with at least 29 people killed after the militants' overnight assault led to a mass jailbreak.

More than 300 prisoners were at large, Attaullah Khugyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said. Of the 1,793 prisoners, more than 1,025 had tried to escape and been recaptured and 430 had remained inside.