Taliban Strikes Another Pakistan Prison; Dozens of Suspected Militants Among 250 Inmates Who Escaped

Prison officials in Dera Ismail Khan were violently attacked by heavily armed Taliban fighters who ended up freeing over 250 prisoners, including dozens of suspected militants, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Over a dozen people were killed as a result - one of whom was beheaded - on Monday evening. The raid lasted until early Tuesday morning.

One of the militants freed was Adnan Rasheed, who famously wrote an apologetic letter to 16-year-old education activist Malala Yousufzai after she was shot in the head by the Taliban.

According to the Chronicle, this is the second attack by the Taliban on a prison in the northwestern region in the past 18 months. However, prison guards were unprepared for the powerful raid, even after receiving information that an attack was likely to happen. The incident raises tons of questions and regarding the power of Pakistan's ability to battle the Taliban, which has been responsible for countless deaths of security personnel and civilians alike over past years.

Prison official Zeeshan Khan said the guards on the top posts were the first to be taken down by the Taliban fighters, who were chanting "God is great" and "long live the Taliban." Some were reportedly disguised in police uniforms.

Khalid Abbas, the head of a prison department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said he didn't expect the attack to happen so quickly despite receiving intelligence on a possible raid.

Once the attackers got inside the prison, they called by megaphone the names of prisoners and opened their cells using explosive devices.

Shahidullah Shahid, a Pakistani Taliban spokesperson, claimed responsibility for the attack to The Associated Press. According to Shahid, 150 militants took part in the attack, eight of which wore suicide vests. Only two were used.

Malik Mohammad Qasim, a prison adviser in a neighboring province, expressed his concern.

"It is an intelligence failure. Just a day before, I was given a report of all is good about prison security," Qasim said, according to the Chronicle. "Heads will roll. No one will be spared."