Russian special forces successfully freed two guards and killed several men linked to ISIS who had taken them hostage at a detention center in Rostov on Sunday, as reported by the prison service.
Intense gunfire was captured in footage shared on Russian Telegram channels.
“The criminals were eliminated,” stated Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, which confirmed a “special operation” took place to free the hostages.
“The employees who were being held hostage were released. They are uninjured,” the prison service added.
The hostage takers, some already convicted of terrorism offenses, had broken the bars of their cell window and accessed a guard room where they took at least two officers hostage, according to Russian media.
State media indicated that some of the men were affiliated with the Islamic State militant group, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March.
Before the special forces stormed the detention center, one of the hostage takers was seen in a video posted by the 112 Telegram channel, brandishing a knife beside a bound guard. The hostage taker wore a headband displaying the Islamic State flag.
