ALMA-ATA, Oct. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Kyrgyz member of parliament Tymytchbek Akmatbaev and three of his aides were shot dead by rioting inmates on Thursday when inspecting a prison outside Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz government announced Friday.

    Prison guards who witnessed the incident said angry inmates grabbed guns from Akmatbaev's bodyguards after their talks with the MP turned into a quarrel on Thursday.

    The prisoners shot dead four people and took some others as hostages, the witnesses said. Several other people, including the head of Kyrgyzstan's national sentencing board Ikmatulo Polotov, were injured.

    Akmatbaev and Polotov were inspecting the N31 prison where inmates had been protesting in recent days for better food, medicine supplies and living conditions.

    Troops in armored vehicles were immediately called in to surround the jail. The prisoners agreed to release the hostages after two hours of negotiations with Prime Minister Felix Kulov.

    Officials of the sentencing board told reporters on Friday that Thursday's riot might have connections with criminal organizations outside the prison, which hosts more than 2,000 inmates.

    They added that a thorough investigation was underway. Enditem