At least 8 prisoners have been killed in clashes between inmates and prison guards on Wednesday in the central province of Dhamar, some 100km south the Yemeni capital of Sana'a, leaving at least 8 prisoners killed.

"A group in Dhamar Central prison inmates attacked the prison guards as they attempted to break out in Wednesday afternoon," local security officer told Yemen Post, requesting anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

"Apparently, the inmates' relatives managed to sneak in some weapons, which the prisoners used in the clashes with the security,"

The guards were compelled to use force and fire on them to prevent their collective escape attempt, leaving at least 8 killed and scores others injured, the security sourced added.

Some of the wounded are in a very critical condition, according to local sources and medics.

"The guards fired on us without any reason at all; we just tried to form a committee to negotiate with them on some issues," Local media quoted a prisoner in Dhamar Central Jail as saying.

Yemeni Hud Organization for Human Rights has called on the general attorney and prosecution to probe into the incident, holding them responsible for any potential repression against the prisoners.

It's noteworthy that prison breakouts have increased as of last year, apparently due to the current unrest the country is experiencing.

Like many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Yemen has witnessed massive popular protests demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, pushing the economy to the brink of collapse, bringing the state to its knees and triggering many clashes at various fronts in the fragmented-country.