Interior Ministry Warned of Prison Breakout 5 Days Earlier
Security forces Wednesday continued hunt for a Fatah al-Islam fugitive as reports said Lebanese intelligence had warned the interior ministry that a plot was being prepared at Roumieh jail five days before the breakout took place.
Local media said the slackening in measures led to the use of the Koran as means to smuggle sharp tools that facilitated the breakout by eight Fatah Islam convicts early Tuesday.
Security forces succeeded in thwarting the escape attempt and re-arrested seven prisoners. Only one inmate, however, managed to stay on the run.
As-Safir daily wondered how the prisoners managed to saw bars off their cell windows over a period of nearly two weeks.
"Or are there collaborators from within the prison?" As-Safir asked. "If true, this is a disaster."
The eight members of the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah al-Islam group sawed bars off their cell windows, scaled down the building using blankets tied together, then stood on each other”s shoulders to help one jump over a wall and escape.