MANILA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — More than 150 prisoners escaped a jail in the southern Philippines after an attack by gunmen early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Jail officer Peter Bongat said the gunmen attacked a jail facility in North Cotabato province around 4:00 a.m. local time, paving the way for the escape of at least 158 prisoners.

He said the facility houses 1,511 inmates, including some "high profile" inmates belonging to the rebel group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters operating in central Mindanao.

Media reports said at least one jail guard was killed and another man was injured in the pre-dawn raid.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

A witness said the attacker, clad in black suits and armed with high-powered firearms, stormed the jail apparently to free some inmates serving sentences for murder and illegal drugs.

Bongat said a manhunt is underway to re-capture the escaped prisoners.

In August last year, three inmates facing charges of illegal possession of explosives and illegal drugs also escaped from the same jail facility.

In 2009, three "high-profile" criminals behind the shopping mall bomb attack in 2007 also escaped from the jail in Amas.

On Feb. 3, 2007 an armed group attacked the same jail, freeing 49 inmates most of them high-profile criminals.