Britain probes escape of 10 detainees in Iraq
Pakistan Times Wire Service

LONDON: An investigation has been launched into how 10 people detained by British forces in southern Iraq escaped by switching places with visitors, Britain's Ministry of Defence said Saturday.

The 10 detainees were found to be missing on Thursday from the Shuaiba military base in the southern Iraqi city of Basra where they had been held as a "threat to security" but had not been convicted of any crimes, a ministry spokesman said.

"Indications are that they swapped clothes and changed places with their visitors earlier in the week," a spokesman said. "A comprehensive investigation into the incident is under way."

With monitoring levels varying widely between facilities, thousands are held in US and British-run prisons across Iraq if they are considered to pose a potential threat to security.●