A violent incident unfolded at the IK-19 Surovikino prison in Russia's Volgograd region, approximately 850 kilometers south of Moscow, resulting in multiple casualties. Four Islamist prisoners were fatally shot by snipers after taking twelve individuals hostage and killing four prison guards.
The event occurred during a meeting of the colony's disciplinary committee. The attackers, armed with knives, seized four inmates and eight staff members. Rosgvardiya, Russia's national guard established in 2016, intervened to end the hostage situation.
Unconfirmed videos shared on Telegram news channels with alleged connections to Russian law enforcement showed the assailants claiming affiliation with the Islamic State. They stated their actions were in retaliation for the arrest of individuals involved in the Moscow concert hall attack five months ago, which resulted in 145 fatalities and stands as Russia's deadliest terror incident in two decades.
"The criminals inflicted stab wounds of varying severity on four employees, three of whom died. Another four who resisted were hospitalised, one of whom died in hospital."
According to the state-run Tass news agency, three of the hostage-takers were convicted of drug trafficking, including one from Uzbekistan and two from Tajikistan. The fourth, also from Uzbekistan, was serving a sentence for involuntary manslaughter during a fight. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of drug trafficking in Central Asia and its potential links to terrorist activities.
Reports suggest that the attackers demanded a helicopter, $2 million, and free passage out of Russia. Russian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the hostage-taking, which carries a potential life sentence.
This event marks the second prison hostage situation in southern Russia within two months. In June, six prisoners who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State captured guards at a detention center in the nearby Rostov region. Five were killed, and one received a 20-year prison sentence on terrorism charges.
The Islamic State, which declared a caliphate in 2014 but was territorially defeated by 2019, has repeatedly threatened Russia due to its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia's military intervention in Syria began in 2015, intensifying the conflict between the two entities.
These incidents underscore the ongoing security challenges faced by Russia's penal system, which houses over 500,000 inmates, one of the world's largest prison populations. The use of snipers in resolving such crises reflects the tactics employed by Russian special forces in high-risk situations.
As investigations continue, this event serves as a stark reminder of the complex interplay between terrorism, drug trafficking, and prison security in the region.