Police in Pakistan's Balochistan region have ordered a combing operation for the arrest of 13 prisoners who escaped from a district jail in Cha­m­an on the first day of Eid.

A jailer and other officials were suspended following the incident.

Home and Tribal Affairs Minister Ziaullah Langove has ordered a probe into the incident.

Officials told Dawn News that 17 prisoners kept in the district jail were facing trial in cases related to ‘heinous crimes’ and added that the suspects escaped after attacking the jail and security staff when they were brought out of their cells for morning prayers.

“The prisoners attacked the jail staff, opened fire after snatching a weapon from a security guard and managed to injure police personnel,” Naeem Achakzai, Chaman’s senior superintendent of police, told Dawn.

He added that with the help of weapons snatched from police, they also broke the locks of the gate and escaped.