Russian security officials say they have arrested 10 suspected terrorists during a special operation in Moscow and St. Petersburg on November 12.
The detainees were described as Central Asians, and the statement by the Federal Security Service noted the cooperation of the security agencies of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The service said that “four powerful improvised explosive devices” were found during the raids, as well as “remote-control devices, firearms, ammunition, and communications devices.”
Officials accused the detainees of having contacts with the Islamic State terrorist organization.
Russian-speaking fighters from ex-Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus are among the largest groups operating in Syria and Iraq alongside lslamic State, and, in some cases, comprise the most potent fighting units there too.
That’s stoked worries in Moscow and Central Asian capitals that the battle-hardened fighters may return their home countries to commit terrorist attacks.
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
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