Breaking News: 9 Men Bolt Jail, 3 Killed

[pioneer]

By Associated Press
<a href="http://www.latimes.com">Los Angeles Times</a>

Nine inmates fled a southern Philippine jail after attacking guards, and pursuing police officers fatally shot three of the escaped convicts and recaptured four others, officials said Friday.

Two other inmates from the jail in southern Cagayan de Oro city remain at large, said Chief Superintendent Teodorico Capuyan, the regional police director.

The nine inmates, who were serving time for murder and drug-related offenses, pretended to be fighting to attract the guards' attention shortly after the end of visiting hours Thursday.

They later ganged up on two guards posted at the tower at the back of the jail, managing to grab an M-16 rifle. The rifle, however, jammed, prompting another guard to fire at one of the prisoners.

The wounded prisoner and eight others then jumped from the tower and fled, prompting a manhunt by jail officials and police. The wounded prisoner was among those recaptured.

Capuyan said a probe has been launched to look into security lapses. The jailbreak was the 24th in the country this year.