Two militants were killed and one was detained in a Federal Security Service operation which prevented a terror attack in Moscow, Dmitry Pavlov from Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee told the Voice of Russia. NAC states these men were trained in the Afghan region, which could potentially connect the militants with Al Qaeda.
Russian special forces have killed two rebels and arrested another one in what has become an operation to prevent an attack outside Moscow, a source in the national counter-terrorism committee said.
"The operatives acted swiftly and prevented a terror attack in Moscow," the NAC said. "Checking intelligence that three militants were plotting a terror attack in Moscow, the FSB tracked down the bandits in an apartment in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo," it said.
“The rebels, all Russian nationals, had arrived from the Afghan area where they had been trained as terrorists”, the source said.
When the rebels were asked to surrender, they opened fire in response.
“The raid resulted in two rebels killed and the third one detained. A special forces officer was slightly injured.”
No casualties have been reported.
"Updates will be released on the investigation into the terrorist plot," the NAC said.
Director of Research Center of State Security Veterans "Vympel" Sergei Krivocheev told the “Voice of Russia”:
"I have to say that this is a good level of agent and detective work of the FSB. The fact is that Western intelligence agencies believe that the Russian security services are working very effectively because of the 200 terrorist attacks being prepared only one happens to pass. This is one of the highest levels of indicators in the world. So I'm not surprised and I'm happy for the comrades that they worked so effectively. The fact is that such situations happen quite often, they are not always announced, but when it comes to shooting, when the whole town knows about it, are impossible to be silent. It is important to continue to work in such way and not to miss terrorist attacks".
SVR veteran Lev Korolkov has told the Voice of Russia that the Federal Security Service “has been taking all the necessary measures”.
“Large cities are always very vulnerable to terrorist attacks. It is very difficult to prevent them even for the best professionals. Besides, such attacks are always resonant. Very often simple people, civilians are suffering. In principle we can expect that such attacks can happen anywhere where there are crowds – in the underground, during a sports event”.
"I know very well how difficult it is to prevent any terrorist attack in a megapolis. When I worked in Afghanistan there were blasts there almost every day".
"Well, that was there, and here quite large force has been assigned to fight this. Anyway, there is always such a possibility.”
"In any case FSB did a good job,” said Korolkov.
The president of the International Association of Veterans of anti-terror group "Alpha", member of the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law Sergey Goncharov sure that terrorists had the most serious intentions. Goncharov also said that the prevention of terrorist attacks in Moscow - "is a very positive fact and it is necessary to say thank you."
"The Federal Security Service of Russia located a group of three militants related to possible terrorist attack in Moscow in one of the houses in the city Orekhovo-Moscow region" - said in an interview to "Voice of Russia" NAC spokesman Dmitry Pavlov.
The President of the Russian Foundation to Counteract Terrorism and Narcotics, Aleksandr Mikhailov, has said that “it is outrageous that militants use weapons against law-enforcement officers”.
“I would like to congratulate my colleagues who despite some losses resolved this problem. The fact that such operation was carried out in Moscow testifies to the fact that aggression of terrorists is on the rise.”
“The most awful thing is that while in the past terrorist attacks were carried out in the North Caucasus, now they are becoming more central. It is moving to the central regions. I am very worried by this.”
“At present we are on the threshold of another round of terrorist activity. And this is a very serious factor meaning that terrorism keeps growing. The good thing remains however that this attack was nipped in the bud. I can also say that we are dealing with terrorists who not only tried to prepare a terrorist attack but who also undertook attempts on the lives and health of people who live in Moscow.”
"The fact remains that our society is at gunpoint of terrorists and the higher the efficiency of law-enforcement officers, the more secure our life is," Mikhailov said.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin received relevant reports through the Federal Security Service during the preparations for an operation aimed at the detention of terrorists in the Moscow Region as well as on the results of this operation.
The Press Secretary of the Russian Head of State Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
Two militants who were planning terrorist attack were captured today during the special operation performed by FSB in the suburban town of Orekhovo-Zuevo
"In the course of the operation one FSB officer was injured", says the National Anti-Terrorism Committee of the Russian Federation.
Earlier, NAC reported that during the special operation a group of three militants was located in the suburban town of Orekhovo-Zuevo. One of them was arrested, two were killed during the shoot-out.
There were no casualties among the civilian population.
FSB prevents terror attack in Moscow, plotted by militants trained in Afghanistan, Pakistan > Strategic-Culture.org - Strategic Culture Foundation
