Dhiqar news network, Nov. 13, 2024

We received the following accurate and confirmed information:

Deputy Interior Minister Adnan Hadi Al Asady visited the Tasfirat prison in Tikrit, accompanied by a special security force of his own office.

After their arrival, the Deputy Interior Minister issued an order to the commander of his security force to take the prisoners who escaped the prison few weeks ago and were caught, as well as those who voluntarily surrendered. The deputy and his forces took those prisoners and took them to the city of Samarra. In one of Samarra’s outskirts, Adnan Hadi al-Asadi ordered his security force to execute all the prisoners in four groups, each group containing 6-7 prisoners.  After finishing the execution, they hid the bodies somewhere in the area.

http://www.dhiqar.net/Art.html?id=29937

Background: 

On 28 September 2024, Iraq militants attacked Tikrit prison, killed at least 12 guards and freeing about 90 inmates, officials told the BBC.

They say a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the gates of Tasfirat prison and clashes between militants and security guards followed.

Some of the escaped inmates were reportedly al-Qaeda members.

The prison was later retaken from the gunmen by security forces, reports say.

The security forces are trying to re-capture the prisoners.

Tasfirat holds several hundred inmates, some of them condemned to death.

'Files destroyed'

The unidentified gunmen stormed the prison on Thursday night.

The attack lasted into the early hours of Friday, and at one stage the militants controlled all the gates of the Tasfirat prison, about 160km (100 miles) north-west of Baghdad.

But a source in the police command of Salaheddin province later said the security forces "took control of the prison", according to the AFP news agency.

Iraqi lawmaker Hakim al-Zamily was quoted in local media as saying that "hardcore" al-Qaeda militants were among those who managed to escape.

Mr Zamily, who is a member of the parliamentary security committee, said that the escapees seized documents identifying people who had provided information about them to the authorities.

The personal files on the inmates were also destroyed, he said, making it "impossible" to track them down.

In addition, the attackers reportedly took with them a police car and weapons seized from the guards.

The raid appeared to be well co-ordinated between the gunmen and some of the inmates, the BBC's Rami Ruhayem in Baghdad reports.

The prison has previously seen disturbances among the inmates. In April, police said they had uncovered a plan by some prisoners to escape.

Militants have previously targeted Iraqi prisons in similar operations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19750039