Inmates claiming ties to Islamic State take prison guards hostage in Russia’s Volgograd Region, at least one person killed

Inmates at a prison in Russia’s southern Volgograd Region took hostages during a disciplinary commission meeting earlier today, as per a report from state-run news agency TASS citing the press bureau of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN).

Prison authorities said the uprising took place at the IK-19 penal colony in the town of Surovikino, located around 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) west of Volgograd, the region’s capital city.

“Several inmates seized staff at a meeting of the colony’s disciplinary committee,” TASS quoted FSIN as saying — without specifying the number of hostages or hostage-takers.

Emergency services informed the news agency that three prisoners were involved in the hostage-taking, and at least one prison employee has been killed.

Local Telegram channel Sapa Kavkaz reported that the inmates behind the attack reportedly demanded $2 million and a helicopter. According to the Telegram channel Baza, which is believed to be linked to the Russian security services, the imam of the Volgograd Region arrived to IK-19 and is awaiting authorization to begin negotiating with the hostage-takers.

Bata Kifah, the mufti of the Volgograd Region, however, said that there can be no negotiations with the attackers and that they should be “destroyed” in a comment to Gazeta.ru, which quoted him as saying:

“If any help is needed from us — we are ready. But, frankly speaking, there should be no negotiations with such criminals — [...] these creatures need to be destroyed on the spot.”

Kifah could not confirm Baza's report of an Islamic leader being present at IK-19 for negotiations, dismissing it as a rumor.

Images circulated on Telegram have pictured the attackers wielding knives and restraining a bloodied prison guard in IK-19's courtyard.

Telegram channels are circulating disturbing footage showing the hostages and victims of the attack. A minute-long video, recorded by the armed prisoners, shows the bloody bodies of five FSIN officers, with three believed to be dead. One of the officers in the video had his throat cut.

Off-camera, the individual filming identified himself as a “mujahid of the Islamic State” and referred to those killed as “kafirs,” or infidels. The Telegram channel Shot also reported that hostage-takers claimed ties to the Islamic State.

Trigger warning: The below video depicts extreme violence and is highly disturbing.

According to Baza, three people were killed, and at least two people managed to escape from the hostage-takers: a prison staff member and a prisoner. They were hospitalized with knife wounds.

Baza listed the names of those injured:

• Andrei Devyatov, head of the IK-19 colony;
• prison employees Roman Ponomarev, Yuri Mavrin and Alexei Lygin;
• prisoner Alexander Boiko.

Devyatov was reportedly taken to hospital in critical condition and is currently in an intensive care unit.

Volgograd Region Governor Andrey Bocharov later confirmed that four prison staff were admitted to a local hospital following the attack.

There are currently 1,230 prisoners in the colony, and special forces have arrived on the scene, preparing for an assault.

Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation on charges of hostage-taking and disruption of the work of a prison, adding that “the necessary investigative actions are being undertaken to determine all the circumstances of the incident.”

This marks the second hostage situation in a southern Russian prison this summer.

In June, six prisoners who had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State took two guards hostage at a detention center in the neighboring Rostov Region. Five of the prisoners were killed, and the sixth was later sentenced to 23 years in prison on terrorism charges.

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