30 prisoners dead, 50 inmates escape from Khalis jail

Officials say it was caused by a prison riot while local sources blame it on an external IS operation. Iraq has seen a number of prison breaks, many of which have been caused by militants seeking to free their comrades.

Police officials said the trouble began when prisoners started fighting, and guards who intervened were attacked and stripped of their weapons. The interior ministry also stressed there had been no external assault. However, some local sources say Islamic State militants used several vehicles to try to storm the prison from different directions in order to secure the release of its members inside.

A security official said that some of the prisoners had planned the escape. Nine of those who got away were being held on terrorism charges, including IS members. The rest, officials said, were common criminals.