MUZAFFARABAD: Nineteen prisoners on Sunday escaped from the District Jail Rawalakot in Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), taking police officers hostage in the process.

According to police reports, the inmates managed to overpower the police officers at gunpoint before making their escape.

SP Bagh Khurram Iqbal detailed the incident, stating that the prisoners opened fire on the police during their escape. In the ensuing shootout, one prisoner was injured and subsequently died of his injuries. Law enforcement agencies have since established blockades in an effort to recapture the escaped prisoners.

“In total, 20 people escaped from the prison. One was killed in the crossfire, while 19 others remain at large,” the inspector general of AJK prisons, Waheed Ali Gillani, said.

Gilani assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to determine how the prisoners managed to escape. Efforts are being intensified to recapture the fugitives and prevent any further security breaches, he added.

“The inmates had a revolver that they used to hold a sentry hostage,” said Badar Munir, an official with the regional ministry of interior.

He said, “It is unclear whether they seized it (the weapon) from jail officials or if it was brought in from outside.”

A senior local police official, Riaz Mughal, said that police had blocked the entry and exit points of Rawalakot, and a search operation was currently under way to locate the escapees.

According to police, the prisoners who escaped from Rawalakot Jail are involved in cases of terrorism, murder and drug smuggling. The names of criminals who escaped are Saqib Majeed, Faisal, Osama Murtaza, Sajid Nazir, Ghazi Shahzad, Haytulah, Saqlain, Muqrram Faisal, Amir Abdullah, Asif, Sohail Rasheed, Shah Mir, Nadir Yasin, Usman Afrad, Omamim Mustafa, Faizan Aziz, Shabir Aaqi, Nouman Asif and Khyam.

Meanwhile, in a late night development, AJK Secretary Information said that as soon as the incident was reported, Prime Minister Azad Kashmir Chaudhry Anwar Haq immediately ordered the Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police to ensure the arrest of the escaped prisoners by using all the resources of Azad Kashmir Police. He said the police have started a search and sweep operation to arrest the fugitives in the whole of AJK. The police of Punjab and other provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad have also been put on high alert.

He said that AJK prime minister has suspended the superintendent of Rawalkot Jail and other officials/officials for negligence and carelessness. Officials guilty of negligence and collusion, including the deputy superintendent jail, have been arrested by the Rawalkot Police and investigation has been started.

AJK secretary information said that Inspector General of Prisons has been made an OSD.