Russian authorities have detained a man in the northwestern region of Karelia suspected of recruiting fighters for the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Syria.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) office in Karelia said on September 12 that the suspect, whose name was not disclosed, is a 37-year-old native of Russia's predominately Muslim North Caucasus region.
According to the FSB, the man is suspected of propagating extremist views via the Internet with the goal of recruiting Russians to join IS militants.
In recent months, dozens of people have been detained or jailed in Russia and former Soviet republics for recruiting fighters for extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.
Russian officials have said at least 5,000 Russians and citizens of other ex-Soviet republics have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join IS extremists.
