Afghan Prison Attack: Suicide Bomber Identified As Kalukettiya Ijas Who Hailed From Kerala's Kasaragod

Intelligence officials have revealed that the suicide bomber involved in Afghanistan's Jalalabad prison break attack on Sunday evening (2 August) has been identified as Kalukettiya Purayil Ijas who hailed from Kasargod, Kerala, journalist Rahul Pandita tweeted.

"Top intelligence sources reveal that the suicide bomber in Jalalabad jail attack in Afghanistan is Kalukettiya Purayil Ijas from Kasargod, Kerala," he wrote in a Twitter post.

At least 29 people were killed after some 30 Islamic State (IS) terrorists attacked a prison in the eastern city of Jalalabad, leading to over 1,000 prisoners attempting to flee.

Over 300 succeeded in their attempts and are still not traced.

Pandita also said, Ijas had fled India in June 2016 with his family and had reached Iran's Khorasen via Muscat, while also adding that his wife Rafaela and child are in custody of Afghanistan security authorities.

The attack began with a car bomb blast outside the prison gate followed by several other blasts, after which the IS gunmen opened fire on the security personnel.

According to BBC, the responsibility of the attack was later claimed by the IS, and at least eight of its militants were eliminated in the 20-hour long gun-battle with the security forces.

The prison had housed nearly 1,800 inmates including a large number of IS and Taliban terrorists.