In a dramatic confrontation on Friday, Russian special forces stormed a prison in the Volgograd region after inmates killed three prison guards and took hostages. The attackers, who were connected to the Islamic State (IS) group, were killed by the authorities following a prolonged standoff.
The siege began when four inmates took eight prison staff and four other prisoners hostage during a disciplinary meeting. The attackers, who reportedly displayed IS-affiliated flags and made threats of “revenge” for Russia’s actions against Muslims, were eventually shot dead by snipers from the National Guard.
During the attack, three prison guards were killed, and four others, along with four prisoners, were injured. Videos circulated on Russian social media showed guards covered in blood and the attackers with IS symbols. The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service confirmed the deaths and injuries, while the Volgograd regional governor hinted at the attackers’ potential non-Russian identities without providing confirmation.
This incident follows a similar hostage situation involving IS-affiliated prisoners in Rostov in June. The heightened tensions in Russia come in the wake of the deadly Moscow concert hall attack in March, which further exacerbated ethnic and migration-related discord in the country.
