NIAMEY, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A large number of the prisoners who escaped Thursday from the high-security Koutoukale prison, about 50 km northwest of the capital Niamey, have been captured and some "neutralized" by the Nigerien Defense and Security Forces (FDS), the army announced Saturday evening in its information bulletinextrajuicypragmatic.
The army said this escape followed a mutiny that had broken out in the remand center, and several dozen detainees managed to escape.
But thanks to the "rapid and effective" intervention of alerted security units, a large number of the fugitives were apprehended, said the army. "The area is currently cordoned off, and aerial search operations are underway to locate the remaining escapees."
At the same time, an FDS unit on patrol in the Gorou sector, in the same area, managed to locate and "neutralize" three armed terrorists actively wanted after their escape from Koutoukale prison, according to the army.
The army called on the public to exercise increased vigilance. "Anyone who has information or sees suspicious individuals is asked to report them immediately to the police."
Koutoukale prison is in the Tillaberi Region, a vast and unstable border area of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso that is prone to attacks by rebels linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaida groups.■