Up to 18 killed in Baghdad prison shoot-out

Up to 10 inmates and 8 police officers are reported dead in an attempted prison break-out in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Officials say one of the men killed was the man who led the escape attempt, al-Qaeda’s leader in Iraq, Hutaifa al-Batawi.

Officials say al-Batawi grabbed an officer’s gun while being taken for interrogation, shooting dead 4 police agents, including 2 high-ranking officers.

The prisoners thought to be mostly al-Qaeda, were shot dead when security reinforcements arrived at the jail.

Al Batawi was one of 12 people arrested last November in connection with the siege of a catholic church in the Kerrada district of Baghdad.

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