ISABELA, Basilan, 11 April 2004 — At least eight inmates were killed yesterday as dozens of mostly Abu Sayyaf captives seized guards and escaped from a tightly guarded jail in this troubled southern island, police and military officials said.
Pursuing security forces killed the prisoners in a running gunbattle in the outskirts of Sumagdang village in the capital city of Isabela after 53 of them bolted from the provincial jail before noon time, said the island's military commander Col. Rey Ferrer.
Three jail guards were wounded when the prisoners fought their way out with knives and guns taken from the prison.
At least 9 more prisoners were recaptured by soldiers, city police chief William Gadayan said.
Basilan Gov. Wahab Akbar has ordered a manhunt for the escapees and an investigation into the jail break.
Ferrer said soldiers were sent to help track down the prisoners, many of them facing murder charges.
"We have deployed troops to help the local police force hunt down the prisoners. This is a difficult task because the prisoners have fled to different areas, mostly populated by civilians. We don't want any hostage situation here," he said.
Authorities were still trying to determine how many of the escaped inmates were in pre-trial custody and how many had been convicted.
Police and military said the jail houses about 137 prisoners, manned by 21 prison guards, but many are poorly equipped.
"It was quick and the prisoners headed out after overpowering the guards," jail warden Jumaril Sali said. The escaped prisoners had broken up into smaller groups and scattered in different directions, he said.
Provincial spokesman Chris Puno, quoting jail guards, said an inmate's wife smuggled in a .45 caliber pistol, which the inmates used to overpower the guards. They also seized a shotgun and two M-16 rifles equipped with grenade launchers from the guards, he said.
Janati Janatail, a suspected Abu Sayyaf member who was recaptured, told police that a leader of the jailbreak pointed a shotgun at him and several others and warned that they would be killed if they did not join the escape.
The jailbreak came just two days after soldiers outside Isabela killed six alleged Abu Sayyaf members, including Hamsiraji Sali, one of five guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington in the deaths of two American hostages. Gadayan said the escape may have been in retaliation for Sali's death and an effort by the Abu Sayyaf to regroup.
It was not immediately clear how many of the escapees were Abu Sayyaf members, but Puno said at least two of those killed and three who were recaptured were believed to be part of the group.
The Abu Sayyaf is notorious for ransom kidnappings in which some hostages have been beheaded. One of the alleged leaders of the escape, Abu Black, an Abu Sayyaf member, who once tried to break free from his guards during a court hearing, but was knocked down with a punch by a government prosecutor, Puno said. (Additional input from AP)
