Terrorists from Middle East try to penetrate former Soviet countries: Russian agents chief

MOSCOW, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Terrorists from the Middle East are attempting to penetrate countries of the former Soviet Union after defeats in Syria and Iraq, said the head of a national security body in Russia on Tuesday.

"The main center of their concentration is Afghanistan," said Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Russian Federal Security Service, at a meeting of the Council of the Heads of Security Bodies and Special Services of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Bortnikov said terrorists, including citizens of Russia, Central Asia, Europe and North Africa, are moving from Afghanistan to countries of the former Soviet Union via Central Asia.

He said terrorists with forged documents or disguised as refugees, labor migrants and tourists are trying to penetrate Russia and other CIS countries using the visa-free regime or other simplified mechanisms for crossing Central Asian borders.

According to information received by security agencies, about 20,000 citizens of the CIS countries are suspected of involvement in terrorist and religious extremist organizations, he said.

So far, 11 channels of terrorists transferring from the war zone in Syria to CIS countries have been identified and blocked, Bortnikov said.

He said terrorists are changing their tactics to "autonomous jihad", individually targeting civilians, law enforcement officers and urban and social infrastructure.

Bortnikov said a number of terrorist acts, including attacks on diplomatic missions, have been prevented in Russia and Central Asia.

About 300 people suspected of involving in terrorist activities have been transferred by the Russian security authorities to CIS partners, he said. Enditem