courtesy Creative Commons

The prison was located in a tribal region where Taliban and al Qaeda hold sway, according to The Daily Beast.

The attack on the prison lasted two hours. It targeted barracks where "dangerous insurgents" were being held. Of the 384 who escaped, 21 were high-profile militants.

The attackers were allegedly aiming to free a senior Taliban commander, reports CNN. Prison records were destroyed in the attack, though, so officials are still working to verify the names and crimes of those who escaped.

Two of the escapees were awaiting execution.

Four prison officials were wounded in the attack.  Authorities are investigating how the attack was carried out.