Nyala, June 24(Darfur24)
At least 20 people, including inmates, were killed in Korea Prison in Nyala, South Darfur, following armed clashes that broke out inside the prison between an armed group and the Rapid Support Forces.
The prison houses hundreds of detainees and prisoners from Nyala and other states in Darfur and Kordofan. A number of political prisoners and military personnel were also transferred from Khartoum State to Koria Prison in Nyala.
Local sources in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, revealed to Darfur 24 that an armed force affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces stormed Koria Prison after clashing with prison guards on Sunday evening.
One source stated that the armed force began using force to free one of its leaders, who was being held inside the prison on charges of murder.
The source indicated that the armed force members not only freed their leader, but also broke into the prison guards’ weapons cache and armed the detainees under threat.
Eyewitnesses from the Karari neighborhood, adjacent to the prison, told Darfur 24 that military reinforcements arrived at the prison after the attackers managed to overpower the guards. The witnesses indicated that armed clashes broke out between the two forces, resulting in the deaths of 20 people, including detainees, the leader of the attacking group, and a number of Rapid Support Forces soldiers. The witnesses indicated that a number of prisoners were returned, while a significant group escaped.
Authorities in South Darfur reopened Koria Prison last March, after releasing inmates following the outbreak of war two years ago.