Armed guards keep watch on this prison in Niger's capital Niamey after an escape attempt.<br/> <br />According to government officials, inmates had a gun battle with guards and military on Saturday near the jail's entrance.<br/> <br />Two prison guards were killed in the shootout and several others were injured.<br/> <br />This man who lives in the area described the gun battle as chaos, with people running in every direction.<br/> <br />The jail houses 600 prisoners, including Nigerian Boko Haram insurgents and members of other Islamist militant groups.<br/> <br />Authorities say the inmates attempting to escape had been convicted of terror acts.<br/> <br />Although some were recaptured, other prisoners may have escaped in a truck or are still hiding in homes near the jail.
