A bomb blast rocked the main prison in the southern Zabul province with Qalat as its capital 340 km south of Kabul on Sunday leaving three people dead and two injured, provincial police chief Rogh Lewanai said.
"Taliban militants sent a child with explosive device inside the Qalat prison as an attempt to set free the detainees but the conspiracy was foiled although three persons including the child were killed and two others injured," Lewanai told Xinhua.
He also said that the incident occurred at around 4:15 p.m. local time but no detainees were able to escape.
Earlier, another official said that a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the prison which followed by gun shots.