Seven prisoners escaped from a jail in Gardez city, the capital of the province, on Sunday, the governor's office said.

Abdullah Hasrat, governor spokesman, said that only seven prisoners escaped from the jail, rejecting an earlier claim by a source who told TOLOnews that as many as 23 inmates had escaped.

Of the seven, three were jailed for Taliban activity, one for treason, one for fraud, one for murder and one for assassination, said Hasrat.

He said the prisoners escaped after breaking the jail’s mosque window, and efforts are underway to recapture them.

Investigations have also begun into apparent negligence among the prison staff, Hasrat said.