By Russian security forces on Friday shot and killed four inmates who had taken hostages at a penal colony in the Volgograd region, according to official statements. The inmates, who had posted videos online describing themselves as Islamic State militants, had fatally stabbed four prison staff members.
“Snipers of the special forces of the Russian National Guard in the Volgograd region, with four precise shots, neutralised four prisoners who had taken prison employees hostage. The hostages have been released,” the state news agency RIA quoted the National Guard as saying.
The federal prisons service confirmed that all four attackers had been “liquidated.” It reported that four of its staff had died from stab wounds, while others were hospitalized. A total of eight prison employees and four convicts had been held hostage.
Videos posted by the attackers showed victims lying in pools of blood, with one having his throat slashed. In one video, a prisoner shouted that they were “mujahideen” of Islamic State. Other footage depicted the attackers in a prison yard with a hostage slumped in a sitting position, his face bloodied.
The operation to free the captives occurred after President Vladimir Putin, during a weekly Security Council meeting, requested updates from the interior minister, FSB security chief, and head of the National Guard about the incident.
This attack follows a recent uptick in Islamist militant activities in Russia. In June, a prison uprising linked to Islamic State took place in the southern Rostov region, resulting in special forces killing six inmates who had taken hostages. Later that month, at least twenty people were killed in attacks on a church, a synagogue, and a police checkpoint in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia. In March, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, which resulted in over one hundred forty deaths.
The latest incident has raised security concerns, particularly regarding how the inmates acquired weapons and mobile phones to film and post videos online. In the footage, one attacker appeared to have an improvised explosive vest, while others wielded knives and hammers.
The attackers’ specific demands were unclear, though they made statements about Russia oppressing Muslims and claimed to be acting in response to alleged mistreatment of Muslim prisoners.
Russian media reported that the four attackers were citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Three were reportedly imprisoned for drug offenses, while the fourth was serving a sentence for murder.
As investigations continue, Russian authorities are expected to review security protocols in prisons to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Credit: Reuters.com
