3 Inmates Break out of Roumieh, 2 Arrested

Armed forces captured two of three inmates who escaped from Lebanon's main jail in Roumieh on Monday.

One of the captured prisoners is Mohammed al-Jouni, a Lebanese who had been jailed for killing an Army Captain from al-Jurdi family during a robbery of BLOM's Elissar branch in 2012.

Reports had said that he was part of a terrorist cell plotting the assassination of several officials and judges, including Speaker Nabih Berri.

Al-Jouni was arrested when the Internal Security Forces and Lebanese Army patrols searched for the escapees in the woods surrounding the prison as soon as news broke out about their escape, the state-run National News Agency said.

The other is also a Lebanese national named Saeed Sabra.

Interior Minister Nuhad al-Mashnouq hoped in remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that the escapees would be arrested by Monday evening.

The officers suspected of dereliction of duty will be punished, he said.

Military Tribunal Judge Sami Sader launch an investigation into the break out.

NNA and LBCI said that the inmates escaped at 4:00 am from the bloc of prisoners, who have received sentences, using sheets knotted together to climb down the building.

The third, who is on the run, is Syrian Muhannad Abdul Rahman.

Roumieh, the oldest and largest of Lebanon's overcrowded prisons, has witnessed sporadic prison breaks and escalating riots in recent years as inmates living in poor conditions demand better treatment.