The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria took credit for a deadly prison break that released 40 prisoners from Al Khalis, north of Baghdad, Iraq, and killed five guards and 30 inmates yesterday.
Iraqi officials blame a riot inside the prison and say there was no outside assault, the BBC reports. A spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said the prison break began when prisoners seized a weapon from a guard, leading to clashes.
The jihadist group claimed on Twitter, the social media platform it uses heavily for propaganda purposes, that it had freed 30 fighters in the attack in a coordinated attack between fighters outside the prison and jailed militants.
Violence has escalated near Baghdad this week, with three car bombs exploding on Friday and Saturday. 15 people were killed and dozens injured.
