Authorities are investigating a violent attack at Wallens Ridge State Prison where six inmates, including five confirmed MS-13 gang members, allegedly carried out a premeditated stabbing of corrections officers on Friday morning.

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) reported that the incident took place around 9:45 a.m. at the Big Stone Gap facility. According to the agency, five of the six inmates involved in the attack are from El Salvador and were living in the United States illegally. The sixth inmate is a confirmed Sureño 13 gang member from the U.S, reports WJHL.

VADOC Investigating the Stabbing of 3 Corrections Officers by MS-13 Gang Members pic.twitter.com/jyiDOER7yO

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“Each have been convicted of violent crimes including aggravated murder, first and second degree murder, and rape,” VADOC stated in a news release.

The gang members allegedly attacked officers with makeshift weapons, resulting in injuries to five staff members. VADOC said that three of the five injured officers were released from medical care later that day. Two of them had suffered only minor wounds during their response to the attack.

The other two officers remain hospitalized but are reported to be in stable condition, reports Corrections1.

VADOC Director Chad Dotson responded to the incident by drawing attention to the immigration status of the majority of the alleged attackers.

“Five of the individuals responsible for this senseless attack should never have been in this country in the first place,” Dotson said. “Every single day, our officers put their lives on the line to ensure public safety for the more than 8.8 million people across the Commonwealth. This attack is an example of the dangers they face when they show up to work every day. Our officers are heroes, and I commend the team at Wallens Ridge for their swift response.”

The Department of Corrections has confirmed that a full investigation into the stabbings is ongoing.