Moscow: Russian authorities have foiled
a major terrorist attack in and around the capital as they
seized powerful explosive devices and arrested four suspects
from the restive North Caucasus region.
President Dmitry Medvedev was today briefed by General
Alexander Bortnikov, the Director of Russian Federal Security
Service (FSB), about the planned terrorist attack on the busy
transport infrastructure of the capital.
Bortnikov said a gang of four from the country's North
Caucasus region was arrested and powerful explosive devices
with the total strength of 10 kg of pure TNT was seized from
them, state-run Rossiya 24 TV news channel reported.
"Just a few days ago we prevented a huge terrorist
attack in the Moscow region. We arrested a criminal group of
four people from the North Caucasus, who were preparing a
terror attack on crowded transport hubs," Bortnikov said in
his televised meeting with Medvedev.
All the four have confessed to planning the attack at
several crowded places and transport hubs, the channel said.
A number of maps and weapons were also seized from
them.
Although no other details were given, a televised
remark of President Medvedev suggests that the terrorists
could be from the volatile Caucasus republic of Dagestan
neighbouring on Chechnya.
"The fight against terrorism cannot be carried out
only with the use of force. The leaders of Caucasus republics,
of course of Dagestan, must do everything to ease the life of
their citizens, our citizens without any religious
discrimination," Medvedev said in his televised comment.
Two widows of slain militants belonging to the Black
Widows suicide bombers from Dagestan had carried out several
suicide attacks in the past, including twin blasts in Moscow
metro stations in March 2010.
Last January, a suicide bomber from Ingushetia, which
was earlier part of Chechnya, had blown himself in the
international arrival lounge of Moscow's busiest Domodedovo
airport, killing 35 and injuring 178 people.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 00:00