Lebanon Searching for 5 Escaped Militants

Posted August 13th, 2011 at 5:20 pm (UTC-5)
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Lebanese authorities are hunting for five prisoners who escaped from the country's main prison Saturday. Most of the fugitives are members of a radical group said to be inspired by the al-Qaida terror network.

The five men used bedsheets to scale down the prison walls. They then mingled with visiting relatives before walking out of the Roumieh prison, northeast of Beirut.

Authorities said the escapees included members of the Fatah al-Islam group.

Fatah al-Islam waged a deadly battle with the Lebanese army in 2007. About 400 people died during unrest that began when the group led an uprising at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.