THE escape of 69 detainees from the Baabda’s Justice Palace’s detention center in Lebanon on Saturday has highlighted security and humanitarian concerns about the prison system, with five prisoners killed during the breakout.

An official source told Arab News on Sunday that “the detainees escaped in the early hours of the morning, when a prison guard opened the door for one of the detainees to throw away the trash, as he always does. However, the detainees charged and attacked the guards, and escaped from the Justice Palace.

“Six of them took over a taxi from its owner, forcing him to get out of the car after hitting him, before quickly escaping,” the source said.

“The six detainees were observed by security cameras the moment they took over the car, however, they crashed into a tree near the constitutional council a few kilometers away, which led to the death of five of them. The severely injured sixth escapee was transported to a hospital.”

The security source said: “The detention center where the incident took place is located inside the Baabda Justice Palace. It is dedicated to arresting people, in preparation for their trial and transfer to prisons. There were 150 people detained in that center the moment the incident occurred, and none of them are accused of a terrorist crime. They are accused of crimes ranging from theft, fraud and murder. Sixty-nine detainees escaped whereas the rest refused to flee and stayed at the detention center.”

The International Security Forces’ (ISF) leadership said that the use of checkpoints and patrols led to the recapture of 16 of the escapees, and four escapees handed themselves in.

Municipalities in towns near Baabda warned citizens not to open their doors and to report any suspected escapee. Security patrols were also deployed on the roads leading to the south and Bekaa.(SD-Agencies)