Islamist prisoners cut down guards, seize hostages in Russian prison By Reuters
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Knife-wielding prisoners who call themselves Islamic State terrorists attacked security guards at a Russian compound on Friday and took hostages, according to media and security-affiliated media.
A video posted by one of the news channels, Mash, showed at least two attackers. One of them shouted that they are “mujahideen” of the Islamic State militant group and are holding a prison in the Volgograd region.
At least four prison officers in uniform were seen lying or sitting in pools of blood. Three were lying motionless, one had his throat cut. One was sitting in the doorway, held by a man with a knife to his neck.
Russian state media said at least one of the prison staff was killed, but the video suggests the death toll is much higher.
The prisons department said in a statement: “When there was a disciplinary commission, the convicts took the staff of the prison for the kidnappers. At the moment, steps have been taken to free the hostages. There are some injured.”
The prison has been designated as a “harsh” colony that can hold up to 1,241 male inmates.
Security-linked news sites published the names of the four suspected attackers, identifying them as citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. There was no official guarantee.
Russia, whose defense and security agencies are heavily focused on its war in Ukraine, has seen a recent increase in attacks by Islamist militants.
In June, an Islamic State-affiliated prison riot broke out in the southern Rostov region, where special forces shot and killed six prisoners they had taken hostage.
Later that month, at least 20 people were killed in shootings in two cities in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia.
In March, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in which gunmen stormed the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, sprayed the audience with automatic weapons fire and set the building on fire, killing more than 140 people.
