Ten al-Qaida inmates escape from prison in eastern Yemen

AHMED AL-HAJ
Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni security officials say 10 jailed al-Qaida militants have escaped from prison in the eastern province of Hadramawt. The inmates staged a quarrel among themselves late Thursday at the prison in the city of Seiyun, forcing guards to intervene. But when they did, the prisoners overpowered them, seizing their Kalashnikov rifles and binding their hands before running away, prison officials said. They asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to brief the media. Preliminary investigations indicated that the inmates must have coordinated their move with prison guards who collaborated, as well as other militants from outside.