Armed men storm jail in southern Philippines, free 28 prisoners

Armed men believed to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group have stormed a jail in the southern Philippine Malawi City, freeing at least 28 prisoners, authorities said on Sunday.

Police officer Agustine Tello, chief of the Lanao del Sur provincial police, said the jailbreak took place around 5:40 p.m. on Saturday in Mapandi Village in Marawi City.

He said the attackers, numbering about 50, were heavily-armed and easily took control of the local jail.

Among the escapees were eight members of the so-called rag-tag Maute group who were arrested last Monday for possessing improvised explosive materials and guns. Twenty other prisoners escaped during the attack, he said.

Tello also said the attackers disarmed the jail guards and carted away one M16 rifle, on M14 and a vehicle as they escaped.

Brig. Gen, Restituto Padilla told radio dzBB in an interview that the military is helping the police in the manhunt to re-arrest the gang members and the jail breakers.

"We have heightened the alert level in the region," he said, adding that pictures of the escapees have been disseminated.

The Maute group has been blamed on several bomb attacks and kidnapping for ransom in central Mindanao.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to crush the group and another similar Muslim extremist group operating in nearby provinces, the Abu Sayyaf group, that is also engaged in kidnap for ransom, killings and robberies.

Last May, the group engaged the military in clashes that lasted several days. The military said almost 30 Maute gang members were killed in that clashes. The military said they found back flags of IS group after the clashes. Endit