DUSHANBE (Reuters) - At least 25 inmates and two security officers have been killed after a riot broke out at a high-security prison in Tajikistan, three security sources said on Thursday.

The violence started late on Wednesday when an inmate believed to be a member of militant group Islamic State attacked a guard and seized his assault rifle, said an interior ministry official who declined to give his name.

Officers restored order hours later with the help of reinforcements, a security official speaking on condition of anonymity said.

The prison in the northern Tajik city of Khujand is where prisoners convicted of religious extremism offences, including membership of Islamic State, are generally held. It also houses other prisoners.

Both officials said at least 25 inmates were killed, as well as one warder and one policeman. The third source, also a security official, said three guards had died.

Local authorities confirmed a riot had occurred but gave no details.

Khujand lies around 300 km (185 miles) north of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

In July, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack which killed four Western tourists in Tajikistan, an impoverished Central Asian country.</s>DUSHANBE (Reuters) - At least 25 inmates and two security officers have been killed in a riot at a high-security prison in the northern Tajik city of Khujand, security sources said on Thursday.

Local authorities confirmed there had been a riot on Wednesday at the prison known for housing people convicted on extremism charges, but provided no other information.</s>Tajik security forces have killed at least 13 inmates at a high-security prison in the northern city of Khujand where a riot broke out, security sources say.

Local authorities confirmed there had been a riot at the prison, but provided no other information. Khujand lies around 300km north of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

According to an interior ministry official not authorised to comment publicly, the riot started when one inmate regarded by the authorities as a member of the Islamic State militant group attacked a prison guard.

The prison called in security forces to help quash the riot, which had now ended, said a security official.

Tajikistan, an impoverished Central Asian country, routinely reports detentions and convictions of Islamist militants. Last July, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack which killed four Western tourists in Tajikistan.</s>At least 25 inmates and two security officers have been killed in a riot at a high-security prison in the northern Tajik city of Khujand, security sources said on Thursday.

Local authorities confirmed there had been a riot on Wednesday at the prison known for housing people convicted on extremism charges, but provided no other information.

The ex-Soviet country’s government has yet to confirm the prison riot or the deaths.

The prison in Khujand, located some 300 kilometres (186 miles) to the north of the capital Dushanbe, has seen prison breaks in the past.

In 2016, a guard and a prisoner were killed after three inmates initiated a jailbreak.

At the time the interior ministry said the prisoners had “planned to join the ranks of ISIS.”</s>Twenty-four prisoners and two guards were killed after dozens of inmates rioted at a maximum security prison in northern Tajikistan, security sources said on Thursday.

Special forces were called in to help restore order at the prison in Tajikistan's second-largest city of Khujand after the riot broke out there on Wednesday, sources told AFP.

The penal facility houses prisoners serving long sentences for serious crimes such as murder and extremism including membership of the Islamic State group (IS).

One security source told AFP that the non-prisoners who died were a guard and a soldier.

A second source said that a further six guards had been injured.

"A riot involving dozens of prisoners occurred Wednesday night and continued into Thursday," one of the security officials told AFP, requesting anonymity.

The second source said the riot had begun when prisoners seized "cutting objects" from a workshop in the prison.

A funeral for the soldier and the guard who died in the clashes was planned for Thursday, one of the sources said.

The ex-Soviet country's government has yet to confirm the prison riot or the deaths.

On Thursday the border service of Tajikistan's neighbour Kyrgyzstan said it had beefed up security near the countries' shared frontier because of the riot.

The border services of the two countries "have already discussed the situation in Khujand," spokeswoman Gulmira Borubayeva told AFP.

The prison in Khujand, located some 300 kilometres (185 miles) to the north of the capital Dushanbe, has seen violence and jailbreaks in the past.

In 2016, a guard and a prisoner were killed after three inmates initiated a jailbreak.

At the time the interior ministry said the prisoners had "planned to join the ranks of ISIS."

Tajikistan, a country of 8.5 million people bordering Afghanistan, has suffered severe conflict since it gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Tens of thousands of people were killed in the country during a five-year civil war in the 1990s when rebel groups including Islamists rose up against the government.

Authorities in the majority-Muslim country have said that more than 1,000 Tajiks, including a high-ranking police officer who defected in 2015, joined IS in Syria and Iraq in recent years.

In July, an attack on foreign cycling tourists left four dead and two injured.

The assault was widely attributed to IS, although the government has refused to acknowledge the link.</s>At least 27 people are dead after a riot broke out at a high-security prison in Tajikistan last night, it has been reported.

Twenty-five prisoners and at least two security officers were killed amid the violence, three security sources said today.

The incident began late yesterday when an inmate - believed to be a member of the Islamic State - allegedly attacked a guard.

The prisoner seized the guard's assault rifle during the attack, according to an interior ministry official, who declined to give his name.

A riot then broke out, during which dozens were reportedly killed.

Officers restored order hours later with the help of reinforcements, a security official speaking on condition of anonymity said.

The prison in the northern Tajik city of Khujand is where inmates convicted of religious extremism offences are generally held.

The facility also houses other prisoners.

Both officials said at least 25 inmates were killed during the incident, as well as one warder and one policeman.

The third source, also a security official, said three guards had died.

Local authorities confirmed a riot had occurred but gave no details.

Khujand lies around 185 miles north of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

In July, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack which killed four Western tourists in Tajikistan, an impoverished Central Asian country.</s>An ISIS-linked inmate is suspected to be an instigator of a prison riot that left more than 25 people killed in a high security prison in northern Tajikistan, according to media reports.

Violence broke out at the prison in the second-largest Tajik city of Khujand late on Wednesday. The prisoners joined a fellow inmate, allegedly an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militant, who attacked an officer and took away his weapon, Sputnik and Reuters reported citing security officials.

Rioters reportedly managed to take over one of the buildings of the facility, before special forces intervened and regained control.

The total of 27 people were killed, including 25 inmates, a prison employee and a special forces officer, according to Sputnik. Six guards were also injured.

The incident has left the city’s security forces on high alert, and all the roads from and into the area are under special control. The fact that the riot might have been inspired by an ISIS militant adds to the concerns that the terrorist organization is active in Tajikistan, a Central Asian country bordering Afghanistan.

In July, four Western tourists were killed in the country in an attack claimed by ISIS. Moscow has warned that after the defeat of terrorists in Syria, the region might be next target on their list.

In 2017, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that ISIS build up on the Central Asian republics’ borders is a matter of grave concern.

Russia’s FSB has warned of the terrorist threat, including from ISIS members, that can come to Russia from Central Asia as the terrorists might be trained in Afghanistan. Last year, the security services thwarted a series of terrorist attacks planned by a group coming from Central Asia. The attacks were to target the presidential vote and New Year’s festivities in Moscow region.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!</s>DUSHANBE, Tajikistan: Twenty-four prisoners and two guards were killed after dozens of inmates rioted at a maximum security prison in northern Tajikistan, security sources said on Thursday.

Special forces were called in to help restore order at the prison in Tajikistan’s second-largest city of Khujand after the riot broke out there on Wednesday, sources told AFP. The penal facility houses prisoners serving long sentences for serious crimes such as murder and extremism including membership of the Islamic State group (IS).

One security source told AFP that the non-prisoners who died were a guard and a soldier. A second source said that a further six guards had been injured. "A riot involving dozens of prisoners occurred on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday," one of the security officials told AFP, requesting anonymity. The second source said the riot had begun when prisoners seized "cutting objects" from a workshop in the prison. A funeral for the soldier and the guard who died in the clashes was planned for Thursday, one of the sources said.</s>KHUJAND, Tajikistan -- Sources close to local authorities have told RFE/RL that several inmates were killed when a riot broke out overnight in a prison in Tajikistan's northern city of Khujand.

According to the sources on November 8, it is not clear what sparked the riot that was crushed by additional police force sent to the prison.

"Several inmates were armed with knives, some of them were killed, some managed to break out," one of the sources said.

Reuters quoted three unnamed sources as saying that at least 13 inmates were killed by security forces.

Local residents told RFE/RL that gunshots were heard from the prison area.

The Khujand directorate for penitentiary services denied that firearms were discharged in the prison but confirmed the extraordinary situation.

The city government confirmed there had been a riot, but provided no other information.

Local residents say that police cordoned off all roads and highways connecting the city with neighboring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.</s>DUSHANBE: Twenty-four prisoners and two guards were killed after dozens of inmates rioted at a maximum security prison in northern Tajikistan, security sources said on Thursday. Special forces were called in to help restore order at the prison in Tajikistan’s second-largest city of Khujand after the riot broke out there on Wednesday, sources told AFP. The penal facility houses prisoners serving long sentences for serious crimes such as murder and extremism including membership of the Islamic State group (IS). One security source told AFP that the non-prisoners who died were a guard and a soldier.
A riot at a high-security prison in Khujand, Tajikistan, known for holding convicted terrorists, including ISIL members, leaves at least 27 people dead.