Russian MIA sets up 7000-strong unit to fight militants in Dagestan

As stated today by Rashid Nurgaliev, the head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), at the operative meeting with the top managers of the Chief Department of his Ministry for the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and for Dagestan, the local militants will be fought against by a special grouping of 7000 MIA employees.

"By means of temporar involvement of the Interior Troops (IT) of the Russian MIA, we have set up a group of forces and means in the territory of the Republic of Dagestan," said the Minister.

According to his story, the group will include 5497 law enforcers from the Dagestani MIA; 150 agents of the OMON (riot police) and OMSK (special police); 878 servicemen of the IT of Russian MIA, including 500 special-purpose fighters; and ten crews of the Road-and-Post Service of the Russian MIA, the ITAR-TASS reports.

The MIA bosses discussed the operative situation behind the closed doors; and Abdurashid Magomedov, the head of the Dagestani MIA, said that according to the data at disposal of the local MIA, the threat of terror acts in Dagestan persists, the RIA "Dagestan" reports.

"We have operative data that bandit leaders are training suicide bombers," said Rashid Nurgaliev. The head of the Dagestani MIA answered that the data was investigated by local power agents.