MOSCOW — Inmates at a Russian prison took guards as hostages and claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, leaving at least four people injured, Russian news reports said Friday.
Details of the violence at the prison in Surovkino, 860 kilometers (535 miles) southeast of Moscow, were sparse and did not specify the number of hostage-takers or people seized.
Russian news site Meduza posted a video that it said was from the scene, showing men wielding knives inside and in a prison yard and several men in what appeared to be guard uniforms lying in blood on the ground.
State news agency Tass said four victims were taken to a local hospital and two of them were in serious condition. Unconfirmed reports on Telegram messaging channels said one or two people died.
In the video, the alleged attackers claimed support for IS and for the suspects arrested in the March terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall that left 145 people dead. An IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack, in which gunmen killed patrons waiting for a popular music group to perform and set the building on fire.
Tass said court records showed that four of the hostage-takers were from former Soviet Central Asian countries; all the concert hall attack suspects are from Tajikistan.
Authorities closed off the road leading to the prison and sent in officers to try to end the violence.
A tense hostage situation has unfolded at a Russian prison, as inmates allegedly express support for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. The incident, which began on Tuesday morning, has raised concerns about the spread of radical ideologies within the country’s prison system.
According to reports, a group of inmates at the maximum-security prison in the city of Kirov, located in the Kirov Oblast region of Russia, seized several prison guards and other staff members and are currently holding them hostage. The inmates are said to have demanded better living conditions and the release of fellow prisoners who they claim have been unfairly detained.
However, what is most alarming about this situation is the reported expressions of support for IS by the inmates involved. Russian authorities have not confirmed these claims, but local media outlets have reported that the inmates have been seen displaying IS flags and chanting slogans in support of the terrorist group.
The presence of radical ideologies within Russia’s prison system is not a new phenomenon. In recent years, there have been several incidents of inmates expressing support for extremist groups, including IS. This has raised concerns about the potential for radicalization to occur within prisons, where individuals may be vulnerable to recruitment by extremist organizations.
The Russian government has taken steps to address this issue, including implementing measures to monitor and prevent the spread of radical ideologies within prisons. However, incidents like the one unfolding in Kirov serve as a stark reminder of the challenges that authorities face in combating extremism within the country’s penal system.
As negotiations continue between prison officials and the inmates involved in the hostage situation, the safety and well-being of the hostages remain a top priority. The Russian government has stated that it will not negotiate with terrorists and will take all necessary measures to ensure the safe resolution of the situation.
The unfolding hostage situation at the Russian prison in Kirov serves as a troubling reminder of the ongoing threat posed by radical ideologies within the country’s prison system. It highlights the need for continued vigilance and proactive measures to prevent the spread of extremism and ensure the safety and security of both inmates and prison staff.
