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Seven IS members held for plotting terrorist attacks in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Urals

The group was led by a member of the above mentioned terrorist group who arrived from Turkey’s territory, Russia’s Federal Security Service said

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday it has detained seven members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group who prepared to carry out terrorist attacks in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Urals.

The gang, which was detained in Russia’s Urals city Yekaterinburg, included the citizens of Russia and Central Asian states who were part of the IS group, the FSB public relations center said.

The gunmen were planning to carry out "high-profile terrorist attacks using self-made explosive devices on the territory of Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Sverdlovsk region."

"The group was led by a member of the above mentioned terrorist group who arrived from Turkey’s territory," the FSB said.

A laboratory for making explosive devices was uncovered during the search operation.

The detained persons also planned to later leave for Syria to join combat actions as part of the IS group, the FSB said.

A criminal case has been opened into "terrorist attack," "ammunition trafficking" and "illegal storage of explosive substances." A search is underway to establish criminal ties of the detained men.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in late January that in 2015 Russia’s special services curbed the activity of three groups that had plotted terrorist attacks in the country.

An attempt was also recently made to send a group to Russia consisting of 10 people who had a legend that they were doing business in Turkey and then moved vehicles from Poland.

Late last month, authorities in the North Caucasus Karachay-Cherkess Republic opened a criminal case against nine members of a group who joined the IS and were tasked with carrying out a terrorist attack. Six of them were detained and there others were neutralized.

According to Russia’s special services, a special unit operates in the IS to prepare terrorist attacks in Russia and Europe. It is led by Ahmed Chetayev dubbed "One-handed" and consists mainly of descendants of the North Caucasus. Russia’s special services are aware of this and act preventively.