An Ankara gendarmerie colonel detained early Saturday around 200 rebel soldiers who came to arrest him with automatic weapons during a failed coup attempt late Friday, security sources said.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity due to restriction on speaking to the media, security sources said Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Colonel Ferdi Korkmaz in Ankara escaped from the pro-coup soldiers, accused of being members of the parallel state, but later detained them with security forces who came to rescue him.

"This is a very big failure, you can not give account for this attempt," Korkmaz told the pro-coup soldiers in his office late Friday.

"This is a military maneuver," responded the pro-coup lieutenants, who came to arrest Korkmaz.

Korkmaz escaped the pro-coup rebels around 4.00 am (0100 GMT) early Saturday, the sources said.