| Conflict: | Sarposa Prison |
| Partof: | the War in Afghanistan (2001–present) |
| Place: | Kandahar, Afghanistan |
The Sarposa Prison tunneling escape was the escape of around 475 prisoners from Sarposa Prison in Kandahar in April 2011 by a tunnel dug from the outside. At least 71 of the escapees were reportedly recaptured within days.[1]
The tunnel used for the escape reportedly took several months to build, was over a hundred meters long, and used sophisticated techniques involving electricity, ventilation, and potentially the assistance of engineers. The tunnel ended in a house outside the prison that had been searched by security forces just two and a half months prior, yet with no suspicious activity was reported. Reports have speculated whether it would have been possible to conduct the substantial earth-removal required for the construction of the tunnel without security forces being alerted.
In the end, around 475 prisoners at the central jail managed to escape. At least 71 of the escaped prisoners were reportedly recaptured.[2] [1]
Reports and commentary following the outbreak focused on the extent of prison officials' complicity in the escape, and whether the escaped prisoners could be expected to join in large-scale attacks. Political assassinations in the Kandahar area were reportedly down in the last year, but suspicions about government officials, and their inability to protect civilians, had remained high. In response to the escape, the Afghan Uniformed Police established a checkpoint directly across the highway from the prison, directly above the tunnel exit. The security around the prison was also greatly enhanced by coalition and Afghan forces.
The head of the team investigating the escape, Mohammed Tahir, further cemented the likelihood of complicity from a number of people. He described the tunnel as so carefully planned and sophisticated that it appeared that engineers, not merely men with shovels, must have been involved. "The tunnel was dug in a very professional way," said Tahir. "They have used an electrical system and a ventilation system and small shovels and pickaxes for digging and wheelbarrows for removing the soil."[3]