The Taliban has raided a prison in Afghanistan and released hundreds of terrorist operatives.

Officials in Ghazni said a terrorist unit attacked the city prison early Monday morning around 2:30 a.m.  A car bomb exploded at the prison’s entrance and then at least six terrorists stormed the building using rocket powered grenades.

Three of the terrorists were killed in the prison break while four police officers were killed.  Two of the dead terrorists were reported by Reuters to be suicide bombers who detonated the car.

The siege of the prison lasted for several hours.

The raid is the third major prison break by the Taliban in the last three years.  The Taliban announced major offensive against government positions in April.

“In this operation, 400 of our innocent countrymen were freed … and were taken to mujahedin-controlled areas,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement taking responsibility for the attack.

The Afghani government said that 148 of those who escaped the prison were “threats to national security.”