Russians arrest seven in alleged ISIS-related terror plot

Russian security services have arrested seven people accused of plotting terror attacks on behalf of ISIS in major Russian cities

Russian security services have arrested seven people accused of plotting terror attacks on behalf of ISIS in major Russian cities, the country’s FSB intelligence agency said today.

The arrests were made in the city of Ekaterinburg, located on the edge of Siberia, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation said in a written statement.

The agency said the group was planning to carry out “high-profile attacks” using IEDs on Moscow, St. Petersburg and in Ekaterinburg. During searches of the group’s houses, agents found a bomb-making laboratory, including explosives and detonators, as well as guns and grenades, according to the statement. Officers also allegedly found banned extremist writings.

The members of the group were Russian citizens, as well as from Central Asian states, the FSB said, although the agency did not specify which countries. The group was being led by an alleged ISIS militant that recently arrived from Turkey.

In the past few months, Russian security services have said they have interrupted a number of terror plots in Russia, and have arrested and killed militants they accuse of belonging to ISIS.