Kandahar prison raid

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Kandahar prison raid
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Date June 13, 2008 Location Kandahar, Afghanistan Result Taliban victory (1,200+ prisoners freed).
Belligerents
Afghan National Police	Taliban insurgents
Casualties and losses
15 policemen killed[1]	10 fighters and prisoners killed

v • d • e War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Qala-i-Jangi – Tora Bora – Anaconda – Red Wing – Lashkagar – Mountain Thrust – Helmand – Panjwaii – Medusa – Mountain Fury – Falcon Summit – Sangin – Achilles – Hoover – Chora – Firebase Anaconda – Harekate Yolo – Musa Qala – Karez – Kandahar prison

The Kandahar prison raid was a raid on the main prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan by Taliban insurgents on June 13, 2008.

30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers attacked Sarposa Prison early in the evening. The assault began when a suicide bomber in a tanker truck full of explosives detonated at the prison's main entrance, wrecking the gate and a police post, killing all the officers inside. Shortly after that, a suicide bomber on foot blasted a hole in the back of the prison. Insurgents then fired rockets at the prison as the Taliban fighters broke in and a 30-minute battle began.

In the end almost all of the prisoners at the facility, more than 1,200 men, managed to escape and disappear into nearby pomegranate and grape groves. There were also minibuses waiting for them outside the prison during the attack. Some 390 of them were suspected Taliban fighters. Among those that escaped where commanders, potential suicide-bombers and assassins. 25 people were confirmed dead. Among them: 15 policemen, 8 prisoners and the 2 suicide bombers.^[2][3]

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