[Quqnoos] At least 13 prisoners fled from a prison in the northern Afghan province of Balkh on Saturday, officials said The detainees escaped overnight in a prison-break in the remote district of Nahr-e Shahi, the head of Balkh prison, Ghulam Usman Tarin, told reporters. "The prisoners -- all of them criminals -- holed a wall of the district prison and ran-away," Mr Tarin added. None of the fugitives were linked to any insurgent groups, but they were charged for murder, robbery and other crimes. Security forces have arrested five guards from the prison following the outbreak to investigate whether they facilitated their attempt, Tarin further said. He explained that the likely reason behind this escape was "the old walls of the prison that damped due to rain and snow that caused it to be destroyed easily."
Nearly 150 prisoners were recently transferred to the Nahr-e Shahi district prison due to a lack of places in the main detention facility in the provincial capital, Balkh.