Prisoners of an Iraqi jail seized weapons and offset violent clashes with security guards that left 12 dead, before dozens of inmates escaped the facility, Iraqi officials stated on Friday, Sept. 28.

Fox News reported that prisoners and guards were fighting for hours and the 12 dead reported did not include the 10 guards that also died. The prison was in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, north of Baghdad.

The escaped inmates included al-Qaida suspects, according to the news source. Yahoo added that some were leading members of al-Qaeda who were sentenced to death on more than 10 counts. However, no confirmation has been made as of yet whether the terror group was behind the jailbreak.

A death toll is also being reported in different numbers by different sources. CNN updated their news report at 11 a.m. on Sept. 28 and stated that at least 15 people died and dozens more were injured: ten security forces and five prisoners died, and 20 security forces and 20 prisoners were wounded, they reported.

They also noted that 80 prisoners managed to escape and details on how the actual jailbreak was performed is as follows:

"Armed men detonated two car bombs Thursday at the gates of a jail in Tikrit. The assailants wore police uniforms and used cars similar to those driven by police," a police source told the National Iraqi News Agency.

"The attackers took over the Tasfirat jail after setting off the car bombs and clashing with authorities. Afterward, security forces surrounded the jail and engaged in a battle to regain control from the armed men inside."

Security officials were able to regain control of the jail early Friday, Yahoo reported.

The Tasfirat jailhouse temporarily holds prisoners awaiting trial and convicts waiting to be transferred to other prisons to serve out their sentences.