6 Palestinian prisoners escape from Israeli prison

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) - Six Palestinian prisoners escaped from Israel's northern Gilboa Prison early Monday, state-run media said.

State broadcaster Kan quoted the Israeli Prisons Service as saying that the detainees tunneled out of the high-security prison.

It said five of the prisoners belonged to the Islamic Jihad Movement, and one was a former commander of the Fatah movement.

Israel's daily Maariv newspaper reported that a police contingent had arrived at the prison, and a security operation was launched.

All the inmates were serving life sentences, according to Israeli website Walla news.

Haaretz newspaper said the six were cell mates and the tunnel they dug reached dozens of meters in depth.