Nine Moroccan extremists convicted for their roles in the Casablanca suicide bombings which killed 45 people in 2003 have escaped by tunnelling out of their prison.

The escape from Kenitra prison, 25 miles east of the capital Rabat, was only discovered this morning after dawn prayers, the Moroccan justice ministry admitted in a statement .

“Measures have been taken to find the escaped prisoners and establish who was responsible,” the statement added.

One of the escapees was a death row prisoner awaiting execution for his part in the bombings, which targeted a Jewish community centre, a Spanish social and cultural club, a hotel and a restaurant. Twelve of the 45 dead were suicide bombers.

Abderrahim Mahtade, the president of a welfare group for jailed Islamist militants, said one of the nine escapees had been sentenced to death, six others to life imprisonment and two were given 20 years in jail. They all came from Casablanca.

Mr Mahtade said the escapees had left a letter behind them, explaining their decision to break out.

The letter, signed by the nine escapees, said: "No to injustice. We had tried every way to end this injustice and we knocked on all doors for that without result. The only way left for us is to do that (breakout). We hope that you will understand.

“We apologise for the disturbance we have caused. That was the only solution.” Around 900 Islamist extremists are being held in Moroccan prisons, many of whom staged a 24-hour hunger strike today in protest over their prison conditions and in pursuit of political status.

Last December a convicted drug dealer called Mohamed Ouazzani, alias Nini, strolled out of Kenitra prison unhindered. The justice ministry was informed only a week later of his disappearance.

In January, eight prison guards were sentenced to sentences ranging from two months to two years for abetting his escape.

The prison at Kenitra holds many people convicted of terrorism-related crimes but lacks advanced security features according to Abdurahim Hamimi, a board member of the Moroccan Prison Monitor, a non-governmental group.

He described the prison break as the most serious in Morocco’s modern history.

“It’s the first time there are so many escapees at once” he said.

Authorities have carried out regular anti-terror sweeps since the Casablanca bombings, often raising concerns among human rights groups, which say that many innocent people have been targeted.

Hundreds of Islamist suspects were put on trial following the Casablanca bombings while Abdelhaq Moulsabbat, the alleged leader of the suicide bombers, died in police custody. A State Prosecutor said he had died of acute liver failure.

Twelve suicide bombers died in the five almost-simultaneous blasts on 16th May. Most of the suspects were linked to Salafiya Jihadia, a clandestine group alleged to have links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network. Some had been recruited from Sidi Moumen, a sprawling bidonville (shanty town) on the outskirts of Casablanca.

In March last year, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Casablanca cyber cafe, and investigators later uncovered an alleged plot targeting tourist sites across Morocco. A month later two brothers strapped with explosives blew themselves up near the US consulate in the city.

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