Attack on prison in Mexico border city leaves 14 dead

According to a statement released on Sunday by the Chihuahua state prosecutor's office, the attackers entered the prison at 7 a.m. local time (14:00 GMT) in a number of armoured vehicles, and they immediately started shooting at the guards. Ten jail guards and four prisoners were slain in the ensuing pandemonium.

According to the state prosecutor, at least 13 persons were injured.

Local media stated that some rioting inmates inside torched various items and fought with jail officials.

Later on Sunday, according to the state prosecutor's office, the Mexican army and state police took over control of the facility.

The office reported that at least four people had been taken into custody, but it was unclear if they were inmates or armed attackers.

It was not immediately obvious who carried out the attack, and no information was provided regarding how the 24 inmates who managed to escape were able to do so.

The state prosecutor's office reported that an investigation has been started.

Inmates frequently engage in violence in Mexican jails, even in a handful where officials exercise only minimal control. Inmates of competing gangs, which act as drug cartel proxies in cities like Ciudad Juarez, frequently get into altercations.

The city is located across from El Paso, Texas, a border town in the United States.

In August, violence from a riot within the same state jail erupted in Ciudad Juarez's streets, leaving 11 people dead.

In that incident, after the deaths of two prisoners inside the facility, accused gang members opened fire on the town, killing four radio station employees who were attending a promotion at a nearby restaurant.

Municipal police were attacked just before Sunday's assault on the Ciudad Juarez prison, and four individuals were eventually apprehended following a chase, according to a statement from the state prosecutor's office.

Later, police shot and killed two alleged assailants in an SUV.