MOSCOW, Nov. 14 (UPI) — Russian security forces are reporting the arrest of 10 people with Islamic State ties who they say had planned terror attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Weapons were also confiscated.
Russian news agencies reported the arrests Saturday, based on information from the Federal Security Service, also known as FSB.
The FSB said the arrests were made with cooperation from the former Soviet republics of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The suspects are reportedly from Central Asia and have ties to the terror group, also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh, in other countries, the International Business Times reported.
The FSB seized homemade firearms and homemade bombs from the suspects, including what was described as four “powerful IEDs,” or improvised explosive devices.
“They also identified targets of their attack, accomplices and a support base both in Russia and in other countries,” the FSB statement said.
“An operation conducted on November 12 in Moscow and St. Petersburg resulted in the arrests of 10 terrorists,” the statement said, according to the Sunday Express.
The suspects reportedly told Russian officials they had planned a series of bombings and gun attacks in Russia’s two biggest cities with a plan to focus on public places with large gatherings.
