Four persons deprived of liberty (PDL) believed to be members of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed while another prisoner was wounded in an attempted jail break in Surigao del Sur on Sunday morning.

Jail Chief Inspector Xavier Solda, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) spokesman, said a group of PDLs in Lianga District Jail tried to escape and grabbed the firearm of a jail personnel.

Solda said based on the initial report 11 inmates attacked one of the jail officers who was opening the cell gate to bring their breakfast.

"They overpowered our duty personnel who's opening the cell gate. They manage to get near the secondary gate. Our duty on the secondary gate fired a warning shot but he was also overpowered by the PDLs and the detainees forcibly took his firearm," he said.

The other duty personnel responded, resulting in an eight-minute gunfight.

Four PDLs died in the gunbattle while a detainee was stabbed with an improvised bladed weapon by suspects who tried to escape.

Following the incident, BJMP Chief Jail Director Allan Iral ordered an investigation while the entire BJMP in the Caraga region was placed under red alert. Robina Asido/DMS