Law enforcers announce number of terrorist cells revealed in Russia

Since the start of 2019, in 17 regions of Russia, Northern Caucasus inclusive, secretive units of the "Islamic State" (IS) a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court, have been revealed, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported.

According to law enforcement bodies, this year they managed to stop the operation and suppress the IS units in the Krasnodar, Stavropol and Krasnoyarsk Territories, in the Astrakhan, Vladimir, Moscow, Rostov, Samara, Saratov and Tyumen Regions, in the Republics of Dagestan, Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Chechnya, and in the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts.

In the first half of 2019, they revealed 972 terrorist crimes, said Oleg Ilyinykh, the head of the chief department for counteracting extremism of the Russian MIA.

"14 facts of organizing extremist communities, and 90 facts of organizing activities thereof have been identified," says the website of the "Russian Police" magazine.

Mr Ilyinykh has also noted the downward trend in the number of extremist crimes: in the first half of 2019, 314 such crimes were registered, which is by 58.8% less than in the same period of 2018.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported about the trial of five residents of Astrakhan, natives of Dagestan and Ingushetia among them. They are accused of illegal arms trafficking and the creation of an IS unit. On September 13, they refused to plead guilty, stating that they had confessed under torture.