MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. The prisoners who took the employees of the Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention center hostage have been liquidated, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Rostov region told TASS, adding that the hostages are safe.

"During the special operation to free the hostages in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Rostov region, the criminals have been eliminated, the employees who were held hostage have been released and they are safe," the statement says.

As TASS was told in law enforcement agencies of the region, "due to the situation, reinforcement has been introduced [in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Rostov Region]."

According to the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Rostov Region, on Sunday the accused, who were kept in one of the cells of the pre-trial detention center N1, took two employees hostage. As the regional law enforcement agencies told TASS, a case officer and an inspector-supervisor were taken hostage. The criminals were armed with knives. According to the regional law enforcement agencies, the criminals failed to take possession of service firearms. After attempts at negotiations, the special forces launched an assault.

A criminal case has been opened into the hostage taking.