More than 800 prisoners have escaped from a prison in eastern DR Congo after unidentified gunmen staged a jailbreak during the night.

“In the night of Tuesday 9th to Wednesday 10th of August, the central prison of Kakwangura (city of Butembo, North Kivu) was attacked by a group of assailants. The attack caused the death of at least two policemen and the flight of all detainees,” tweeted Kivu Security Tracker, a joint project of the Congo Research Group, based at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and Human Rights Watch.

“Over 800 people were imprisoned there, most of whom fled. At least 5 assailants were captured on the road leaving Butembo. Among them, at least 3 were burnt by the population in Mumole, DRC,” the organization added. (ILKHA)