MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. Over 10,000 people suspected of being involved in terrorist and extremist activities were banned from entering Russia in 2018, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director and National Antiterrorism Committee Chairman Alexander Bortnikov said at a Committee meeting on Tuesday.

"Well-coordinated efforts of all agencies involved in the fight against terrorism made it possible to prevent terrorist acts during the Russian presidential election and the FIFA World Cup," he said. "The Interior Ministry and the FSB Border Service banned more than 10,000 people suspected of being involved in terrorist and extremist activities from entering the country, and also stopped over 60 Russian and foreign nationals from going to conflict zones in the Middle East," the FSB chief added.

Russia’s special services have neutralized 65 militants, including 10 ringleaders and detained 36 ringleaders, 236 gunmen and 589 militant accomplices this year, Director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and Chairman of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) Alexander Bortnikov said at the final NAC meeting.

"A total of 65 militants, including 10 ringleaders, were neutralized, 36 ringleaders, 236 militants and 589 accomplices were detained during counter-terrorism operations and clandestine military operations," he said.

The FSB director stressed that "the situation in countering terrorism in Russia continues to be difficult but is controlled by the law enforcement agencies." According to Bortnikov, the number of terrorist crimes and terror attacks has dropped substantially this year.

Russia’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies prevented 37 terrorist cells from carrying out terrorist attacks in the North Caucasus in 2018, he said. 

"A total of 37 terrorist cells were exposed, which planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya and the Stavropol Region," he said.

Automated monitoring systems introduced in Russia in 2018 have helped expose more than 47,000 websites which contained information about the activities of international terrorist organizations, he added. 

According to him, while implementing a comprehensive plan to counter the spread of terrorist ideas in Russia, a number of additional measures were taken to protect the country’s information space form terrorist threats.

Bortnikov said that the Russian media watchdog, the Interior Ministry, the FSB and the Prosecutor General’s Office had expanded the use of automated media communications monitoring systems. "It made possible to close down more than 64,000 websites spreading illegal information, including 47,000 websites containing information about the activities of international terrorist organizations," the FSB chief pointed out.

He also said that "the activities of international terrorist organizations continue to pose a threat." "International terrorist organizations’ leaders still seek to establish clandestine cells in Russia in order to implement their criminal plans," Bortnikov noted. He added that the propaganda of terrorist ideas through communication means was focused on young people, including underage children.

As before, most terrorist developments take place in the North Caucasus though terrorist organizations are trying to extend their activities to other regions of the country.