[2] In May 2008, 200 prisoners announced a hunger strike and 47 of the captives physically stitched their mouths shut to protest detention conditions.

The strike ended when the Afghan parliament agreed to review their detentions; as some of them had been held for two years without charge, or faced summary trials they felt were unfair.

[3] Although the truck failed to explode upon impact, the Taliban quickly improvised, igniting its fuel with an RPG, causing a massive explosion that breached the gate.

[4] A second suicide bomber was alleged to have walked to the back gates of the prison in the confusion, and detonated the explosives he was carrying,[2] although later reports suggested the rear wall had not been breached.

Concerned about the worsening situation in southern Afghanistan, General David McKiernan redirected the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment to bolster defenses in western Kandahar.