Four knife-wielding prisoners claiming to be Islamic State group militants attacked a penal colony in southern Russia, leaving four people dead. The attackers initially seized eight penal colony employees and four fellow inmates before being “neutralized” by snipers. All four convicts taken hostage were injured in the incident, which occurred in a penal colony in the town of Surovikino in the southern Volgograd region. News sites reported that the attackers were citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but this has not been officially confirmed.
President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the situation and is set to meet with his security officials to discuss it. The region’s governor stated that the criminals had been eliminated and expressed condolences for those who died as a result of the attack. He also emphasized the importance of respecting and complying with Russian laws, and condemned any attempts to incite ethnic hatred.
Russia has recently seen an upsurge in Islamist militant attacks, including a prison uprising in Rostov and shooting attacks in Dagestan. In March, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack near Moscow that killed more than 140 people. This incident highlights the ongoing threat of terrorism in Russia, particularly in regions with high Muslim populations.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
