Russian special forces have eliminated four prisoners linked to the Islamic State (IS) after they took hostages and killed several prison staff members at a high-security penal colony in Surovikino, located in the Volgograd region. The incident unfolded on Friday when the prisoners, identifying themselves as members of IS, staged an attack during a meeting of the prison’s disciplinary commission. The attackers took 12 hostages, most of whom were prison guards, and reportedly killed four officers while injuring three others.
The Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) quickly responded to the crisis, deploying special forces to neutralize the attackers. In a statement, the National Guard confirmed that snipers from their unit “liquidated” the four prisoners in a precise operation. All hostages were freed following the raid.
Graphic footage circulated on social media showing the brutal nature of the attack, with at least three prison guards lying motionless in pools of blood. One of the attackers claimed in a video that the assault was an act of revenge for the mistreatment of Muslims in Russia and around the world. The attackers also demanded a helicopter and $2 million during the standoff, according to reports from local media.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of hostages or attackers, and varying reports on social media continue to circulate. The Kremlin stated that President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the incident. This attack follows a series of Islamist terrorist incidents in Russia, raising concerns about the country’s security agencies, which are already stretched thin due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and internal crackdowns on dissent.
In recent months, Russia has experienced several high-profile attacks attributed to Islamist militants. This includes a mass shooting at a Moscow concert hall in March, claimed by an Afghan branch of IS, which left at least 145 people dead. The Volgograd region attack is likely to increase scrutiny of security measures within Russian prisons, particularly regarding inmates with known terrorist affiliations.
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