Russian Prison Siege: Inmates Take Staff Hostage, Leave Four Hospitalised

In a shocking incident, Russian inmates took staff hostage at a prison colony in the southern Volgograd region on Friday, leaving four workers hospitalised. The siege comes two months after Islamic State (IS) group-tied prisoners took guards hostage in another facility, and amid high ethnic tensions following the IS-claimed Moscow concert hall attack.

According to Russia’s federal penitentiary service, the convicts took hostage employees of the IK-19 correctional institution, with measures being taken to free the hostages. Four prison staff were hospitalised due to the attack, with Volgograd governor Andrey Bocharov saying an operational headquarters has been set up to coordinate the release of the hostages.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the “situation” to be discussed at a regular meeting of the country’s Security Council on Friday. Videos published on Russian social media appear to show prison guards covered in blood after being taken hostage, with the hostage-takers holding flags affiliated with IS. However, AFP could not verify these images.

The IK-19 prison colony is located in the town of Surovikino, around 850 kilometres south of Moscow. The incident occurred during a meeting of the prison’s disciplinary commission, with the federal penitentiary service adding that several prisoners were involved.

This is not the first time IS-linked prisoners have staged a siege in Russia. In June, prisoners aligned with IS took guards hostage at a jail in the southern Rostov region, with Russian special forces later killing the hostage-takers and freeing the guards.

Tensions over migration are running high in Russia following the attack on a Moscow concert hall in March, which killed 145 people – the most deadly terror attack in Russia for two decades. A Central Asian branch of IS claimed responsibility for the attack, with the four suspected gunmen now in pre-trial detention and citizens of Tajikistan.

Millions of people from Central Asia, which was part of the Soviet Union, live in Russia, many working low-skilled jobs to send money back to families. IS has repeatedly pledged to target Russia over its support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who has waged a military campaign to quash the group in the Middle East.