Russian Federation: 11 allied with IS group killed in North Caucasus

Russian officials say 11 fighters linked to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group have been killed in a special operation in the volatile North Caucasus region.

Russia’s national anti-terrorism committee stated in a press release quoted by TASS information company that eleven “bandits” have been killed in a primary raid close to the town of Nalchik.

The statement adde, “The raid took place in a forested area on the outskirts of the city of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria Republic”.

No casualties of the especial unit were officially reported.

Tensions have been further heightened by Russia’s military campaign in Syria in support of President Bashar Assad in his war against the Sunni opposition.

Russian Federation has tightened security measures across the country after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday, in which at least 129 people were killed, with more than 300 injured. Three others died in a second operation in the same area later in the day.

Moscow is conducting intensive air strikes concentrating on IS infrastructure in Syria and has been pushing for the creation of a world anti-IS coalition, which would come with Russian Federation, the West and a few Middle Eastern states.

Islamists in the predominately Muslim North Caucuses have been flocking to join Islamic State since it declared a wilayaat, or province, in the region.

The jihadi group published a photograph of a soft drinks can and an apparent detonator in their propaganda magazine Dabiq, claiming the object was used as an explosive device to bring down the plane.

The anti-terrorism committee said the targeted militants were also preparing a series of attacks in the North Caucasus region.