In a troubling incident on Friday, inmates at a prison colony in Russia’s southern Volgograd region took several staff members hostage, resulting in four workers being hospitalised.
The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia confirmed the attack, stating, “Convicts took hostage employees of the IK-19 correctional institution. Measures are currently being taken to free the hostages. There are casualties.” The IK-19 prison colony is located in the town of Surovikino, approximately 850 kilometers (530 miles) south of Moscow.
Volgograd governor Andrey Bocharov disclosed that four prison staff were injured during the attack and are currently receiving medical treatment. “An operational headquarters has been set up to coordinate the work on releasing the hostages. Law enforcement and security agencies are carrying out operational activities. There is no threat to the civilian population,” Bocharov assured in his statement.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the gravity of the situation, announcing that it would be a topic of discussion at a scheduled Security Council meeting on Friday.
Videos circulating on Russian social media appeared to show bloodied prison guards being held by the inmates, who were allegedly waving flags associated with IS. However, AFP has not been able to independently verify the images.
Russia’s investigative committee has indicated that several prisoners were involved in the attack. While Governor Bocharov did not directly address the identities of the hostage-takers, he hinted at their possible foreign origins, stating, “Everyone on our territory is obliged to respect and comply with the laws of Russia. We will not allow anyone to try to incite ethnic discord.”
The incident took place during a disciplinary commission meeting at the prison, according to the Federal Penitentiary Service.
This hostage situation echoes a similar event in June, when IS-aligned prisoners took guards hostage at a facility in the southern Rostov region. That siege ended when Russian special forces intervened, killing the hostage-takers and freeing the captives.
The latest incident occurred against a backdrop of rising ethnic tensions in Russia, following a deadly IS-claimed terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall in March that resulted in 145 fatalities. The attack, the deadliest in Russia in two decades, was claimed by a Central Asian branch of IS. The suspected gunmen, currently in pre-trial detention, are reported to be Tajikistan citizens.
Migration-related tensions have been escalating in Russia, where millions of Central Asians, many of whom are former Soviet Union citizens, live and work in low-skilled jobs. IS has repeatedly threatened Russia due to its military support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who has been waging a campaign against the group in the Middle East.
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