Some 220 Inmates In Northern Uganda Break Out Of Prison After Armed Skirmish - Reports

Some 220 Inmates in Northern Uganda Break Out of Prison After Armed Skirmish - Reports

Some 220 prisoners armed with over a dozen rifles have escaped from the Singila prison in the northern Ugandan town of Moroto, the local Daily Monitor media outlet reported on Thursday, citing sources

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) Some 220 prisoners armed with over a dozen rifles have escaped from the Singila prison in the northern Ugandan town of Moroto, the local Daily Monitor media outlet reported on Thursday, citing sources.

The prison break took place on Wednesday night.

"There has been a break out from the Prison after inmates overpowering staff and accessing the armory where there were about 15 rifles. They are on the loose now. Heavy exchange of fire ensued. They have run towards Mt Moroto," the commissioner general of Uganda Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija, said, as cited by the media outlet.

Reportedly, one member of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) was killed in a skirmish with the fugitives. One inmate was also shot dead, while three others have been recaptured, the media said.

The security forces have called for the population to remain calm, as an operation to pursue the prisoners is underway.