Russian special services free prison hostages-Ifx

MOSCOW, Sep 4 (Reuters) Russian special services today freed all hostages who were being held by inmates at a Moscow prison, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the head of Russia's prison service.

''The special operation to free the hostages took place over just one and half minutes. All the hostages have been freed and noone was injured,'' Yuri Kalinin, the head of Russia's prison service said, Interfax reported.

''The soldiers worked brilliantly,'' Kalinin said.

Three inmates had seized as many as 15 hostages, including a chief warden and his deputy, the prison service said. The inmates had demanded a review of their trials for serious crimes including murder.

The incident started when three inmates taking their afternoon walk attacked prison officials. They then barricaded themselves in a one of the rooms in the prison.

Hostage-taking is not unusual in Russian prisons, many of which are badly managed and maintained.

REUTERS AB KP2346