Aden/Anaa (Yemen), June 22 (IANS) Al Qaeda's 68 prisoners escaped Wednesday from a jail in Yemen through a tunnel they dug over months, Xinhua reported.

 
 The prisoners escaped from Mukalla city central jail in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout, through meters-long tunnel they dug over the past months, said top intelligence official Abdullah al-Jirazie.
 
 "The Al Qaeda fugitives also attacked some of the security soldiers outside the prison in Mukalla city, the provincial capital city of Hadramout, killing one soldier and injuring two others," Al Jirazie said.
 
 But he denied that the prison was attacked by armed Al Qaeda militants.
 
 Earlier in the day, a government official said the prison was attacked by Al Qaeda militants wielding heavy machineguns and grenades, and added that they managed to free dozens of prisoners.