A senior police officer and a civilian were shot dead and a low-ranking policeman was injured on Thursday night when six prisoners escaped from al-Mostakbal Central Prison in Ismailia, sources at the Interior Ministry said on Friday.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that three of the fleeing prisoners are affiliated with the terrorist group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (also known as Sinai Province), and the other three have been convicted of different crimes.
Major Mohamed al-Hussainy, chief detective at Abu Sawyer police station, was killed in the jail-break, while a civilian named Ahmed Rizk was also killed, the sources said. The injured policeman was named as Mohamed Abul Fotouh.
The jail-break started with one prisoner claiming he was ill. When Aboul Fotouh opened the door of the cell, the perpetrators snatched his pistol, shot him in the thighs and fled the scene.
The sources said that Major Hussainy and the civilian were shot dead while they were chasing the fugitives.
The sources said that more than 10 armed elements using pickup trucks helped the fugitives in their getaway, showering the prison with bullets from automatic weapons.
Ismailia prosecution office has started investigating the incident. A team inspected the scene and seized the empty bullet casings as evidence. Security camera recordings have been requested and orders have been given for some prison officials to be inteviewed. Security forces have cordoned off the prison, anticipating more attacks.
The Interior Minister has ordered tightened security at all prisons ahead of November 11, when mass street protests are planned across Egypt.
