Rebels Attack Salvador Prison, 2 Killed

Two prisoners were killed and 10 escaped from El Salvador’s main prison on Friday afternoon in a riot coinciding with an attack on the facility by leftist guerrillas, a senior Salvadoran official said.

Four civilian employees and at least five guards were wounded in the attack and riot on the Mariona prison on the outskirts of San Salvador.

The violence began with explosions, apparently caused by guerrilla dynamite charges, at the prison’s western wall.

Gen. Rinaldo Golcher, El Salvador’s vice minister for public security, said that 10 inmates escaped and two were killed in the unrest.

Heavily armed soldiers, backed by helicopters, were sent to Mariana to try to restore order.

As night fell, the situation was under control but still confused.

Sporadic shooting continued on the outside. Inside, prisoners threw stones over the walls and jeered at soldiers, witnesses said. Earlier the inmates had set a workshop afire.

Golcher said the violence was a joint action by the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front leftist rebels and the prisoners.

He said a large number of guerrillas managed to get inside the prison grounds during what he called a “very strong” attack.”

A guard, interviewed by reporters as he left the facility, said “about 200” guerrillas took part in the assault.