Iraqi security forces said they shot dead a convicted extremist on Saturday as he tried to escape from a prison with two accomplices.
The three prisoners, all ISIS members, were serving life sentences at the Taji penitentiary north of Baghdad, the security services said in a statement.
They were spotted as they tried to break out of jail by climbing over an external wall, the statement said, AFP reported.
Guards opened fire “when they refused to heed warnings”, it said, adding one prisoner was killed while the two others “surrendered.”
“The three terrorists had been sentenced to life in jail,” the statement said without identifying them.
Iraq officially declared victory over ISIS in 2017, and two years later they were defeated in Syria.
But sleeper cells continue to be active in both countries where they frequently carry out attacks.
