عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Russian Forces Storm Detention Facility, Kill ISIS-linked Hostage Takers

Russian police, army officers and ambulances gather near a detention center in Rostov after several inmates took guards hostage. AP
Russian police, army officers and ambulances gather near a detention center in Rostov after several inmates took guards hostage. AP
TT
20
TT

Russian Forces Storm Detention Facility, Kill ISIS-linked Hostage Takers

Russian police, army officers and ambulances gather near a detention center in Rostov after several inmates took guards hostage. AP
Russian police, army officers and ambulances gather near a detention center in Rostov after several inmates took guards hostage. AP

Russian security forces stormed a detention center in southern Russia, ending a hostage standoff, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported Sunday.

The hostages at the facility in Rostov-on-Don were uninjured, said RIA Novosti, citing Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service.

It said that the hostage takers had been “liquidated,” with other local news outlets reporting that at least some of the prisoners had been killed.

State media said that some of the men were accused of affiliation with the ISIS militant group, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March.
Before special forces stormed the detention center, one of the hostage takers was shown by the 112 Telegram channel brandishing a knife beside one of the bound guards.
 

Most Viewed

 
World

Pakistan Warns it May Expel Thousands of Afghans Hoping for Resettlement in the West

Afghan refugees stand near tents before being deported to Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, 10 April 2025. EPA/AKHTAR GULFAM
Afghan refugees stand near tents before being deported to Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, 10 April 2025. EPA/AKHTAR GULFAM
TT
20
TT

Pakistan Warns it May Expel Thousands of Afghans Hoping for Resettlement in the West

Afghan refugees stand near tents before being deported to Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, 10 April 2025. EPA/AKHTAR GULFAM
Afghan refugees stand near tents before being deported to Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, 10 April 2025. EPA/AKHTAR GULFAM

Pakistan said Thursday that thousands of Afghan migrants who have applied for resettlement in third countries could face forced expulsion if they are not relocated by host nations before the end of April.
Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry did not mention specific host countries, but his announcement follows the suspension of US refugee admissions programs that has left over 25,000 Afghan nationals facing uncertainty. Some of the Afghans also are trying to resettle in other Western countries, including the UK, The Associated Press reported.
Chaudhry said an April 30 deadline for resettlement of applicants has been communicated to potential host countries. He also said that any foreigners in the country illegally would be deported immediately, and that those who have obtained UN refugee status would be allowed to stay at least through June.
Many Afghans fled their country after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, fearing reprisals. Some had worked with the US military, international organizations, aid agencies, media outlets or human rights groups.
Thousands already have been relocated to the United States, with those who worked for the US military given a priority by the US government. Thousands more have been living in Pakistan while seeking relocation to the United States or other Western countries.
Chaudhry said thousands of Afghans have been sent back over the past week as part of expulsions that began in October 2023, when Pakistan launched a crackdown on foreigners living illegally in Pakistan. Since then, more than 850,000 Afghans had been repatriated.
He said an estimated 800,000 additional Afghan migrants are in the country illegally, and that 1.4 million are in Pakistan with UN refugee status.
Spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a news conference that the expulsions were not targeted specifically at Afghans and that any foreigners in the country illegally were being deported.
He also said Pakistan was engaged with UN agencies for the protection of people in vulnerable situations. “There is hardly any example of a country which has been more generous to refugees than Pakistan,” he said.