Nearly 500 prisoners have escaped from prison in Kandahar

Almost 500 Taliban prisoners have escaped from Kandahar prison in southern Afghanistan through a tunnel hundreds of metres long, Afghan officials say.

Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said the militant Islamists were responsible for the mass break-out. The jail break is the second major escape in three years to hit Kandahar prison.
The prisoners escaped after dark and guards did not notice they were missing until the following morning. A large carpet in the cell looked to have been folded back to expose the hole.