Eight dead in Iraqi prison breakout attempt

Inmates stormed a prison armoury in Baghdad today, with one grabbing an AK-47 rifle from a guard and firing indiscriminately, killing eight people.

The botched escape attempt comes days after the United States said it would not hand over prisoners to Iraqi officials until they improved conditions in the overcrowded prison system.

One prisoner managed to disarm a guard and fired after grabbing an assault rifle, said Iraqi army Brig. Gen. Jalil al-Mehamadawi.

The US military’s account was slightly different.

A statement by Sgt. Keith Robinson said “it was reported that 16 prisoners attempted to escape the facility after first storming the armoury and obtaining an undetermined number of weapons.”

Robinson said besides the eight deaths, one US soldier and five prisoners were injured.

Guards overtook the gunman and restrained him, al-Mehamadawi said. The prison was a Justice Ministry facility that also housed foreigners, officials said.