KABUL, Feb 26: About 1,300 prisoners, many of them from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, seized control of a block at Afghanistan’s main jail On Sunday after a riot in which up to 20 inmates were hurt, officials said.

The riot at the notorious Pul-i-Charkhi prison on the outskirts of the capital erupted late on Saturday with prisoners setting alight mattresses, clothes and their beds, Deputy Justice Minister Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai said.

It appeared to have been sparked by resistance to new prison uniforms although some reports said it was staged by Taliban members trying to escape.

Prison guards opened fire to stop the unrest spreading throughout the complex which holds about 2,000 people, Mr Hashimzai said.

“According to the prison guards, four to five people have been wounded but according to the rioters, they say they have 20 people who are wounded,” he said. A prison guard was also slightly wounded.

He could not confirm reports that some of the rioters had been killed.

The prisoners were refusing to hand over the injured for treatment.

“They have control of the wounded prisoners and they are not giving them to us so that we can treat them. We have doctors and ambulances ready here,” Mr Hashimzai said.

The rioters had broken through walls separating different sections of the block, including a women’s section, and “have joined together and organised a riot,” he said.

“We have created a security cordon around the block. We have control of the prison except for this one block,” he said.—AFP