Kandahar, Afghanistan
More than 40 Taliban inmates tunneled out of a high-security prison in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar this week. Kandahar Gov. Mohammad Yusof Pashtun said the escape must have been aided by prison officials, five of whom are missing. Digging a 30-yard tunnel, Pashtun said, is “clearly not something you can do in a day or two—it would have taken at least a month.” Mullah Sabir, a Taliban commander, confirmed to reporters that his men paid bribes of $2,000 per prisoner to facilitate the escape. The prisoners had been arrested in the past few months, during fighting with Afghan government forces.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
7 recipes for every kind of fall cooking occasionThe Week Recommends Marinated feta; go-to chocolate cake; a fresh way with Brussels: Autumn is not going to know what hit it
-
Why is a government shutdown possible before the election?Today's Big Question A fight over immigration, spending and the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson
-
DOJ charges 2 in white nationalist 'Terrorgram' plotFeds say Dallas Humber and Matthew Allison were plotting assassinations through a terrorist network on Telegram
