IS prisoners take two prison guards hostage in Russia

Two prison officers have been taken hostage by Islamic State inmates at a jail in Rostov, southern Russia, the prison services announced Sunday.

“The inmates took two prison officers hostage” in detention centre Number One of the Rostov region, they said in a statement.

“Negotiations on the release of the hostages are underway,” it added.

According to a police source interviewed by the state news agency TASS, IS members who are due to appear in court on terrorism charges are among the hostage takers.

Russia has been the target for several attacks claimed by the jihadist organisation.

On March 22, gunmen killed at least 144 people when they opened fire at a concert hall near Moscow in the deadliest attack on Russian soil for two decades. Hundreds more were injured.

More than 20 people have since been arrested, including the four suspected attackers, all from the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack.