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A Russian prison colony in the southern Volgograd region was thrown into chaos on Friday when a group of inmates staged a violent uprising, were staff members we taken hostage; so personnel sustained injures. According to reports, four corrections workers were seriously hurt and are currently undergoing treatment in a nearby hospital.
This latest incident occurs on the heels of a similar hostage crisis just two months prior, in which prisoners affiliated with the Islamic State group seized guards at a separate facility. The timing is particularly sensitive, coming as it does amidst heightened ethnic tensions following the devastating IS-claimed attack on a Moscow concert hall.
“Convicts took hostage employees of the (IK-19) correctional institution. Measures are currently being taken to free the hostages. There are casualties,” Russia’s federal penitentiary service said in a statement.
According to Volgograd Governor Andrey Bocharov, the violent uprising at the prison facility resulted in four corrections staff being rushed to the hospital for medical treatment, underscoring the severity of the attack.
“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,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the unfolding crisis would be a top agenda item at the scheduled meeting of the nation’s Security Council on Friday, indicating a high-level response to the situation.
Footage posted on Russian social media appears to show the harrowing aftermath of the hostage situation, with prison guards visibly bloodied and injured, sparking widespread concern.
They clips also showed the hostage-takers holding flags affiliated with IS.
The Russian investigative committee revealed that multiple prisoners played a role in the daring uprising, hinting at a level of planning and collaboration among the inmates.
While Governor Bocharov refrained from disclosing the identities of the hostage takers, he subtly hinted at rumors suggesting that the perpetrators may not have been Russian nationals.
“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,” he said in a statement published by the regional administration.
The IK-19 prison colony is located in the town of Surovikino, around 850 kilometres (530 miles) south of Moscow.
Read also: DSS Arrests Masterminds Of Protesters Waving Russian Flags
The incident happened during a meeting of the prison’s disciplinary commission, the federal penitentiary service added.
In June, prisoners aligned with IS staged a similar seige at a jail in the southern Rostov region.
Russian special forces outmaneuvered the hostage-takers, ending the standoff and rescuing the captive guards. The elite unit’s flawless execution and strategic thinking saved the day, averting a potential tragedy.
The March attack on a Moscow concert hall, which resulted in 145 fatalities – the highest toll from a terror attack in Russia in 20 years – has created a volatile atmosphere, with migration tensions simmering just below the surface. As the country struggles to come to terms with the tragedy, debates about security and immigration are intensifying.
A branch of the Islamic State group operating in Central Asia has asserted responsibility for the violent incident, while the four individuals believed to be the perpetrators, now in pre-trial detention, have been confirmed as citizens of Tajikistan.
A sizable community of Central Asian expatriates, originating from the Soviet Union’s erstwhile territories, has made Russia their home, with many employed in low-wage occupations to provide for their families through international money transfers.
The Islamic State has consistently vowed to retaliate against Russia for its steadfast backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has spearheaded a relentless military crackdown on the extremist group in the Middle East.
In a later development, Russian authorities brought a swift and deadly end to the crisis at a penal colony, where ISIS inmates had taken guards hostage and killed four in a brutal display of violence.
The captors had resorted to gruesome tactics, including slashing a guard’s throat, and had forced hostages to beg President Putin for mercy.
