Dozens of unidentified gunmen stormed a prison in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and freed 140prisoners on Tuesday, a local media official told Xinhua.

As many as 30 militants attacked the Badoush prison in northwestern Mosul around midday and freed up to 140 prisoners, said Husham Hamdani, a media official of Ninawa province, adding that four prisoners were killed and two wounded in a clash between the gunmen and police.

Husham accused al-Qaeda militants of launching the attack, saying that Iraqi security forces and US troops were searching for the militants and prisoners.

Also on Tuesday, an Iraqi army base in southwestern Mosul was attacked by a suicide car bombing, leaving six people dead and 18 others wounded, police said.

Mosul, capital of Ninawa province, is located 400 km north of Baghdad.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)