More than 3,000 men are held at Roumieh, including four former generals held in connection with the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and members of the al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah Islam militant group. The officials said neither the generals nor Fatah Islam members were near the area of the rioting.

Police Brig. Gen. Antoine Chakour negotiated with representatives of the detainees who demanded that prison conditions be improved and their jail sentences be reduced. The prison was built 40 years ago to hold 1,000 inmates but more than 3,000 are currently held there.

After several hours of negotiations, an agreement was reached between the two sides in which the prisoners will hand over the hostages and return to their cells, the officials said. In return, Lebanese authorities would seriously study the demands of the detainees, they said.

The officials said the eight guards were taken hostage as they distributed food to the prisoners. They added that the handover could take place as early as midnight, Lebanon time.

Security reinforcements and riot police were dispatched to the prison.

The riots began at about 5 p.m. when the prisoners attacked their guards and took some of them hostage, the officials said. Some of the prisoners set their clothes on fire and black smoke was seen billowing from the building for some time.

The officials said the detainees who rioted were mainly Palestinians and some Lebanese.

The officials added that an investigation will be undertaken to determine whether the prisoners who rioted had any plans to try take control of the other buildings in the prison, especially the one where the four generals are held.

A similar incident occurred in Roumieh in 1998, when rioting prisoners protesting overcrowded conditions held five guards hostage. Seven people, including five prisoners, were injured when police stormed the prison and freed the guards at the time. -AP