At Least 18 Dead In Iraq Jail Fight

Iraqi officials say at least 18 people were killed in prison clashes in Baghdad overnight on May 7.

Baghdad's security spokesman Major-General Qassim al-Mussawi said that among the dead is the Al-Qaeda leader known as the "Emir of Baghdad," who is believed to be the mastermind behind an October 2010 assault on Iraq's Christian community that killed 50 people.

Officials said last night's prison violence began when a detainee managed to seize a gun, provoking clashes between security forces and inmates that left seven officers and 11 prisoners dead.

compiled from agency reports