Several of them were live on air when the security forces came to detain them. Mohamed Ilig was doing a Facebook live at the time:

One of those detained was Hassan Galaydh, a freelance journalist who reports for BBC Somali radio.

News crews rushed to the jail after shots were heard from the prison on Wednesday morning.

It is not clear what was behind the trouble, but some reports say that a heated argument broke out between prisoners about Islam.

One of them reportedly said something disrespectful about the religion at a time most Muslims are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. When fights broke out, prison guards intervened.

The authorities say the situation at the prison is now calm, but the journalists remain in custody.

Somaliland and Somalia often come in for criticism for mistreating journalists - especially when they try to report what are perceived as negative stories.