About 1,200 inmates have escaped from a jail in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi, according to international media reports.

The mass escape from the al-Kuifiya prison took place on Saturday after a fierce riot, during which some prisoners set fire to the prison complex, according to witness reports, while a security official said some unidentified gunmen started to attack the prison from the outside.

Most of the escapees face serious criminal charges and some were involved in supporting the regime of ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was ousted in the domestic conflict in 2011, the security official said, according to RIA Novosti.

Some of those who escaped from the prison were recaptured by the police and security forces who were ordered not to fire at the prisoners as some of them were of foreign nationalities. Another security official said, however, three escapees were wounded when they were chased by prison guards, according to Xinhua.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!