In a deadly hostage situation at a maximum-security prison in Surovikino, Russia, four prison officers were killed by inmates who claimed to be affiliated with ISIS. The incident unfolded when the inmates seized several staff members during a disciplinary commission meeting, according to Russian state media.
Special forces from Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardia) swiftly responded to the situation, neutralizing the four inmates with precision sniper shots and freeing the remaining hostages. In a statement on Telegram, the Rosgvardia confirmed, “Snipers from the special forces of the Russian National Guard in the Volgograd Region neutralized four prisoners who had taken employees hostage with four precise shots; the hostages were freed.”
Gruesome footage circulating on social media showed the aftermath of the attack, with three uniformed officers lying in pools of blood, one appearing to have had his throat slashed. Another officer was seen kneeling in a doorway. In another video, the inmates were seen waving ISIS flags.
While CNN has not independently verified the footage, the SITE terror monitoring group analyzed the clips, with one attacker calling the strike “revenge” for the Moscow concert hall attack in 2002, which killed over 130 people.
Details of the Hostage Situation
The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) confirmed that the inmates took hostages during a disciplinary commission meeting, which addresses cases of rule violations. In total, eight prison officers and four inmates were initially taken hostage.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the situation by the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service, according to state media outlet TASS.
Previous Hostage Crisis
This incident follows a similar event in June, when six detainees, reportedly with ISIS links, took two employees of a pre-trial detention center hostage in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia. Those detainees were killed during the rescue operation.
As Russia continues to face threats from both domestic and international terror groups, this latest incident underscores the ongoing challenges facing its security forces.
