Russia thwarts IS attacks in Moscow

Russia's federal security service said yesterday it had thwarted a series of attacks by Islamic State militants in Moscow, detaining four people.

"Four members of the terrorist group were detained" during raids yesterday, the FSB security service said in a statement.

"The militants were preparing the terrorist attacks on direct orders of a Turkey-based emissary of the Islamic State international terrorist organisation, who has been put on an international wanted list by Tajikistan," the statement said.

The FSB did not identify the suspect in question but said the four people detained were citizens of Tajikistan and Moldova.

The group was "planning to carry out a series of high-profile terrorist attacks in Moscow using powerful homemade explosive devices."

An AFP employee at the scene of the FSB operation in southern Moscow saw a block of apartments cordoned off for several hours as special forces stood by.