Russia says it foiled IS-linked attacks on Moscow
Operation alleged to have been orchestrated from Turkey; local Islamic State branch has previously struck in country
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
MOSCOW — Russia’s domestic intelligence agency said it arrested four people and foiled extremist attacks allegedly orchestrated in Turkey.
The FSB said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies that its officers on Thursday arrested citizens of the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Tajikistan who were “planning a series of high-profile terrorist attacks in Moscow with the use of improvised explosive devices.” The attacks were said to be plotted by a Turkey-based warlord of the Islamic State group who is wanted in Tajikistan for unspecified crimes.
The agency said it made the arrests in and around Moscow and found automatic weapons and ammunition as well as unspecified explosives.
Russia is providing air cover for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s advance against Syrian rebels and Islamic State fighters, with the latter having previously threatened to carry out attacks in Russia in response to Putin’s staunch support of the Syrian regime.
Many foreign fighters from Russia’s Muslim-majority Caucasus republics such as Chechnya and Dagestan have gone to Syria to fight on behalf of the Islamic State, who could return to Russia to carry out terrorist attacks. The Islamic State has a local branch in Russia known as the Caucasus Province, which broke off from the al-Qaeda linked Caucasus Emirate in 2014 and has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Russia.
Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.