Taliban insurgents stormed a prison in the eastern Afghan province of Ghazni early Monday and freed hundreds of inmates, officials said.

"Around 2:30 am six Taliban insurgents wearing military uniforms attacked Ghazni prison. First they detonated a car bomb in front of the gate, fired an RPG and then raided the prison," deputy provincial governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told AFP.

He added that 352 inmates escaped after the attack but the Afghan interior ministry said up to 400 managed to flee.