Russia detains five Daesh members, foils planned attacks

Russia’s main intelligence agency says it has detained five members of a terror cell run by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group while they were planning to carry out attacks in several regions across the country.

According to reports, in a statement, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said the suspects were apprehended on May 3-4 in the city of Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow. The terrorists possessed weapons and home-made explosives.

"The Russian Federal Security Service detained five members of the Daesh terrorist cell, who had been plotting terrorist acts on the territory of a number of Russian regions," the statement said.

"During the searches, we confiscated an arsenal of improvised explosive devices, firearms and ammunition from the detainees," it added.

The Russian law enforcement agency, citing inspection officers involved in the operation, said that "the coordination of preparations for the terrorist attacks was also carried out from abroad.” It declined to provide further details regarding the claim.

Russian authorities said criminal proceedings had been launched on the case.

The Russian security service has thwarted a number of terrorist attacks in Russia recently. Back in March, a terror plot by a Daesh-affiliated cell was foiled in the southwestern region of Saratov.

In January, the FSB forces also neutralized a Daesh member who planned a terror attack during a local election in the western region of Nizhny Novgorod.

The FSB said in December last year that it had foiled terrorist plots targeting New Year’s festivities and presidential election events in Russia. It has also increased security measures ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Russia.

SS