Arab Spring!

(AFP) — More than 60 al-Qa’ida prisoners escaped from a south Yemen jail today after they clashed with guards, killing one and wounding two others, security and medical officials said.

The prisoners fled the central jail in al-Mukalla, capital of the Hadramawt province, into the nearby mountains after they overpowered the guards and seized some of their arms, a security official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had initially said that the prisoners fled after heavily armed al-Qa’ida fighters raided the prison to free them.

The jail is believed to house more than 100 al-Qa’ida militants, 58 of whom have been tried in court and have received jail sentences, the official said.

Yemen’s army has been fighting heavy gun battles with al-Qa’ida militants in several parts of the Arab nation, which has also been witnessing a massive uprising against the 32-year-old rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Battles are also raging between Yemen’s army and suspected al-Qa’ida militants for control of the southern city of Zinjibar.