More than 20 killed after Isis militants storm Afghanistan prison, causing mass jailbreak

Afghan forces engaging in a fierce gun battle with militants

Police suspect some prisoners are hiding in a nearby residential complex (AP)

Isis has claimed responsibility for an attack on a prison in eastern Afghanistan that killed at least 24 and led to a fierce battle with security forces.

About 30 gunmen took part in the assault on the Jalalabad jail overnight, using a car bomb to blast open the building’s entrance before storming the jail.

A series of explosions were then heard as gunmen shot at prison security guards.

Hundreds of prisoners attempted to flee the prison, which holds some 2,000 inmates, including a large number of Taliban and Isis prisoners.

Three Isis fighters and at least 21 others were killed in the battle, while 43 were injured, a spokesperson for the governor of Nangarhar province said on Monday.

Those who were killed included civilians, prisoners, guards and security personnel, the spokesperson added. Afghan officials have warned that the death toll may rise.

The battle continued into Monday, with gunshots being heard from the prison area, according to the spokesperson.

The police had captured about 1,000 escaped detainees by midday on Monday, said Sohrab Qaderi, a local lawmaker. It is not known how many prisoners remain at large, but police suspect that some are hiding in a neighbouring housing complex.

Civilians were evacuated from the area surrounding the prison as special forces arrived at the scene to reinforce police efforts.

The attack comes a day after the Afghan intelligence agency killed a senior Isis commander near the province’s capital, Jalalabad.

Meanwhile, Jalalabad, which is 130 kilometres (81 miles) east of Kabul, remains under lockdown because of the coronavirus.

“The whole city of Jalalabad is under curfew. Shops are closed,” Mr Qaderi said. “Jalalabad is completely empty.”

The Taliban was not involved in the attack, their political spokesperson said: “We have a ceasefire and are not involved in any of these attacks anywhere in the country.”

The militant organisation declared a three-day ceasefire from Friday to Monday for Eid al-Adha.

There are approximately 2,200 Isis followers in Afghanistan, the United Nations estimated last month.

In the same report, the UN found that the militant group “remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of the country, including Kabul”, despite being in territorial retreat and with a diminished leadership.

Another report by the intergovernmental organisation found that almost 1,300 civilians, including hundreds of children, were killed during the first six months of 2020, representing a 13 per cent decrease on the same period the previous year.

The fall is partly due to fewer pro-Afghan operations being carried out by international forces, as well as a reduction in attacks launched by Isis.