MOSCOW, August 31./TASS/. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained two Central Asian natives in the Moscow region for plotting terror attacks at heavily-populated points around the city on September 1. The first suspect planned a knife attack with bladed weapons, while the other plotted a suicide bomb attack, FSB’s Public Relations Center reports.
"The Federal Security Service uncovered and thwarted a criminal plot by two natives of the Central Asian region on the territory of Moscow and the Moscow region, who planned terrorist attacks at heavily-populated locations on September 1," it stated in a report.
One of them is a member of the Islamic State terror organization (outlawed in Russia), who planned to attack civilians with the use of blade weapons. A powerful homemade explosive device and components for making it were found and seized at the place where the second man, currently in custody and also an IS member, lived. "He confessed to planning a suicide attack," the FSB said.According to the security agency, one of the terror suspects detained ahead of September 1, Knowledge Day, which this year coincides with one of the chief Muslim holidays Kurban Bairam, posted his video address to members of Islamic State on the Internet. "In this appeal he pledged allegiance to terrorists. After this, the newly-fledged member of the international terrorist organization, the Islamic State, planned to attack civilians with the use of blade weapons. Information on contacts with this organization’s recruiters and instructions for the planned crime were found on his mobile phone," FSB said.
The FSB Investigative Department looking into pressing criminal charges against the detained suspects on counts of plotting a terror attack, participating in the activity of a terrorist organization, and illegally trafficking weapons and explosive devices.