Some 120 criminal prisoners, mostly foreign nationals, escaped from a prison Monday in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera reported.
"About 120 criminals escaped from Jedaida prison, and all security services across the city are on high alert to track them down," the broadcaster quoted Libyan officials as saying.
The spokesman for Libya's Supreme Security Committee, Abdel-Moneim al-Hurr, confirm the breakout and said the manhunt for escapees had so far led to the recaptures of at least two of the inmates, dpa reported.
Most of prisons across Libya were until recently under the control of Libyan rebels who ousted the regime of the late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, but in the past few months, Libyan interim authorities have taken over control of several prisons, including the Jedaida jail.
Human rights organization have reported abuses at the prison and called on the current Libyan government to abide by international law and regulations for human rights.