A violent uprising occurred at a remote Russian prison on Friday, resulting in eight fatalities, according to official reports. The incident involved four prisoners, who identified themselves as members of the Islamic State, taking twelve individuals hostage, including four inmates and eight prison guards. The prisoners were subsequently neutralized by special force snipers at the IK-19 Surovikino facility, located in the southwestern Volgograd region.
The prisoners initiated the revolt during a disciplinary commission meeting. They took control of a single room within the prison, holding their hostages at knife-point. Four of the prison guards were fatally stabbed during the incident, while three others sustained injuries and were hospitalized.
Videos allegedly from the scene depicted the attackers in the prison yard, brandishing knives and surrounded by their victims. The prisoners were heard shouting that their actions were in retaliation for the persecution of Muslims.
Local reports suggest that the prison’s director and deputy director were among those taken hostage. The attackers were identified as Ramzidin Toshev, 28, Rustamchon Navruzi, 23, Nazirchon Toshov, 28, and Temur Khusinov, 29. All four were from former Soviet Central Asian countries, according to local media.
The Federal Prison Service (FSIN) refuted claims that the attackers had gained control of the entire prison. The FSIN stated that the assailants had only managed to occupy one room within the colony.
This incident marks the second such uprising this summer. Previously, six ISIS prisoners had taken two guards hostage at a facility in the neighboring Rostov region. Five of the prisoners were killed, and the surviving prisoner was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The IK-19 Surovikino facility is a high-security penal colony that houses approximately 1,200 inmates.