According to police, almost 300 prisoners from an Indian jail managed to escape Sunday evening.

The prisoners led by Maoists rebels escaped from the Dantewada prison in Chattisgarh state.

The mass jailbreak occurred while the prisoners were having dinner Sunday evening, The Voice of America reports.  

According to authorities only four prison guards were at that time in the prison and their riffles were grabbed by the prisoners who also opened fire. During the shooting three prison guards and two prisoners were wounded.

They’ve opened the gates, letting almost all the prisoners free.

Many of the escaped ones were Maoist rebels. Authorities believe that they are the ones who planned the jailbreak.

According to Ajay Sahni, a counter-insurgency expert with New Delhi's Institute of Conflict Management, the incident shows how poor is the security in Chattisgarh. Chattisgarh is known as a stronghold of Maoist rebels.

Sahni said: "Almost every department in the security structure of Chattisgarh state is currently undermanned, under-equipped, and exceedingly primitive in terms of the equipment and technology available to them. The Maoists are better trained and better equipped."

Five officials from the Dantewada prison were suspended by Indian authorities after the escape from Sunday evening.

Those suspended will face an inquiry.

The officials asked the help of neighbors to capture the prisoners who escaped from prison.

Guards were asked by the authorities to be more careful at the main jails in the state capital Raipur and the city of Bilaspur, Reuters informs. It is known that Maoists rebels are housed there too.

The Maoists rebels claim to be fighting for the rights of poor farmers and laborers with no land.

This is not the first conflict between the rebels and the security forces. Almost 24 officers were killed in July when a police party was attacked by the rebels. Other 55 policemen were killed due to an attack led by rebels over a security post.