AFGHANISTAN: Hundreds of Afghan soldiers and police drew a ring of steel around Kabul's top security jail yesterday after negotiations with Taliban prisoners and a kidnap gang leader, who had taken over the prison, stretched into a second day.
Afghan troops were backed up by tanks and armoured personnel carriers that surrounded the outer perimeter of the Pul-i-Charki prison, where more than 1,000 prisoners had taken over one wing of the building.
US forces are renovating one block of the Soviet-built prison to house Afghan prisoners who will eventually be transferred from Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
However, last weekend's attempted jail-break, which marked the second bout of unrest at the prison in just over a year, highlights growing security concerns in Afghanistan.
At least three people were killed and 17 others injured during the riot on Sunday, although the total number of casualties remains unclear, said Nader Nadery, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, who was involved in the talks with prisoners.
Negotiations were headed by Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, who chairs a reconciliation committee aimed at bringing former Taliban fighters back into the political process.
The talks also included a number of mullahs, as well as human rights commission officials.
"We have spoken to the prisoners. They had some demands and some of their demands were legitimate," Mr Mujaddedi told reporters assembled outside the jail yesterday. "We will discuss it with the government and we hope that the authorities will respond."
The ringleaders of the riot included Timur Shah, head of a gang that kidnapped an Italian aid worker in June, as well as Taliban suspects, about 200 of whom were being held without trial and were demanding to be tried or freed, Mr Nadery said.
Prisoners were also demanding an end to a new rule requiring them to wear uniforms, and the removal of cell bars, he said.
The riot was sparked late on Saturday when prisoners were asked to wear colourful uniforms following the escape of a group of Taliban prisoners in civilian clothes, who bribed their way out of the jail earlier this year.
Five prison guards and four inmates, including an Iraqi, were killed in December 2004 during a jail-break by al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners.