In a dramatic conclusion to a tense standoff, Russian security forces stormed a pre-trial detention centre in southern Russia, successfully ending a hostage situation without any harm to the captives, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The Federal Penitentiary Service reported that the hostages, two employees of the Rostov region’s Detention Centre No. 1, were uninjured following the intervention. The agency confirmed that the hostage takers had been “liquidated,” though local news sources indicated that some of the inmates involved in the crisis were killed during the operation.

The incident began earlier on Sunday when inmates at the facility took two staff members hostage. Tass, another state news agency, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, detailed those six prisoners, armed with a penknife, a rubber baton, and a fire ax, were responsible for the hostage situation. The detainees reportedly included individuals accused of connections to the Islamic State group.

Authorities swiftly moved to contain the situation, asserting that it was “under control” as negotiations proceeded. Personnel from the Federal Penitentiary Service’s central office was dispatched to the scene to aid in resolving the standoff.

This incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by radical groups in Russia. The Islamic State group has been linked to multiple attacks within the country, most recently in March when gunmen attacked a crowd at a concert hall in suburban Moscow, resulting in 145 fatalities.

As the situation in Rostov-on-Don comes to a close, the focus now shifts to understanding how the inmates managed to orchestrate such a standoff and ensuring the security of detention facilities across Russia. Further details on the operation and the identities of the involved inmates are expected to emerge as investigations continue.