Afghan officials investigate 8 deaths at prison

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan officials are investigating the deaths of eight prisoners at the country's largest prison during a clash between guards and prisoners, a Justice Ministry official said Saturday.

Prison officials on Thursday tried to search cell blocks for weapons, knives and cell phones, but prisoners resisted the search attempt, said Mohammad Qassim Hashimzai, the deputy justice minister. Prisoners set fire to mattresses and pillows, and smoke billowed out of the prison.

In response, prison guards entered the block and fired their guns. Eight prisoners were killed and 10 prisoners and three guards were wounded in the clash, Hashimzai said.

"Right now an investigation is under way to learn how these prisoners were killed, if it was by gunfire or by prisoners' knives," Hashimzai said.

Prison officials searched the cell blocks on Friday and collected prisoners' telephones and knives and "whatever equipment they were using against our guards and against the other prisoners," he said.

Justice Minister Mohammad Sarwar Danish said Friday that officials uncovered evidence that prisoners had tried to contact militant groups, including the Taliban and al-Qaida, in hopes they would attack Kabul's Pol-i-charki Prison and help prisoners escape.

In June, Taliban militants attacked southern Afghanistan's largest prison in the city of Kandahar. A truck bomb exploded at the prison entrance and gunmen attacked prison guards. Some 900 prisoners escaped, including roughly 400 imprisoned Taliban militants.

Inmates at the Pol-i-charki Prison have rioted several times over the years and often complain of poor treatment and harsh conditions.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)