Inmates at a prison colony in the southern Volgograd region of Russia, on Friday, took several staff members hostage during an attack that left four workers hospitalized.
The incident occurred at the IK-19 correctional facility, intensifying tensions in a country already on edge following recent events linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.
Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service confirmed the hostage situation, stating, “Convicts took employees of the (IK-19) correctional institution hostage. Measures are currently being taken to free the hostages. There are casualties.”
Volgograd Governor, Andrey Bocharov added that an operational headquarters had been established to coordinate efforts to secure the hostages’ release, emphasizing that there was no threat to the civilian population.
President Vladimir Putin announced that the situation would be addressed during a scheduled Security Council meeting on Friday. Videos circulating on Russian social media appeared to show bloodied prison guards taken hostage, with the captors reportedly displaying flags associated with IS. However, these images have not been independently verified by AFP.
The Russian investigative committee reported that several prisoners were involved in the incident. While Governor Bocharov did not confirm the identities of the hostage-takers, he hinted that they might not be Russian citizens, 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 siege took place during a meeting of the prison’s disciplinary commission in Surovikino, a town approximately 850 kilometers (530 miles) south of Moscow.
This incident follows a similar event in June, when IS-affiliated prisoners staged a siege at a jail in the southern Rostov region. That situation ended with Russian special forces killing the hostage-takers and freeing the guards after a tense standoff.
Tensions in Russia have been exacerbated by issues of migration and ethnic discord, particularly following the March attack on a Moscow concert hall that resulted in 145 deaths.
The attack, claimed by a Central Asian branch of IS, has fueled concerns over the presence of millions of Central Asian workers in Russia, many of whom hold low-skilled jobs and send money back to their families.
IS has vowed to target Russia in retaliation for its support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, whose military campaign has been aimed at crushing the group in the Middle East.
