GROZNY, October 31. /TASS/. Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said that a group of about 20 ethnic Chechens has been detained in Moscow as they were about to leave for the Middle East to fight for the terrorist Islamic State, outlawed in Russia. All detainees have been brought to Chechnya, Kadyrov said on his page in a social network.

"Detective measures helped identify an apartment in Moscow that was used as a transit point. There is evidence that two groups may have already used it. The other day a group of about 20 young men were detained, who were about to be taken to the Middle East. All have been brought to Chechnya," Kadyrov said.

The Chechen leader said he had had a prolonged discussion with the detainees.

"The young men have no idea of what is going on in Syria or Iraq in reality. They are totally unaware that each group there has its own handlers in this or that Western country and that the Islamic State project is directed against Muslims first and foremost," Kadyrov said.

Speaking at a conference in Gudermes on Friday the Chechen leader said that the Islamic State, which was positioning itself as an Islamic liberator, was "a death machine invented by Western secret services."

Kadyrov believes that "the latest events demonstrate the real stance of Europe and the United States."

"There are Western countries behind each terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. Even a madman understands what sort of situation there is. It is obvious that there is some major reason why these groups have gathered and been fighting there - surely not for the sake of Islam or the Muslims," Kadyrov said.

He declared that Chechnya’s awareness promotion campaigns among youth with the aim to prevent recruitment into the Islamic State had been effective.

"We have been conducting explanation work among youth for a while now and it has yielded results. In contrast to the situation we had just recently, these days there is hardly anyone in Chechnya eager to participate in the Syrian conflict. We also know that many of those who were fighting for the Islamic State just recently are now trying to leave the area of the conflict," Kadyrov said.