Jakarta – Nearly 50 inmates escaped from a prison in Indonesia's troubled province of Aceh, the state Antara news agency reported Monday.

The 47 inmates pushed through the main gate of the Jantho prison in Aceh Besar district Sunday as guards escorted out two visitors. Five guards were threatened by some of the inmates, who were armed with knives.

Police so far only managed to capture a woman inmate, who was caught on a motorcycle with her husband in Sulimum district, some 20 kilometres from the prison. Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Syamsul Ma'arif said here Monday the incident was "purely criminal" and unrelated to recent violences in the province.