Elite members of the Russian FSB near Sochi, Russia. Photo credit RIANOVOSTI – Russia’s leading news agency.
Russian security forces (FSB) have launched an massive counter -terrorism sweep in response to the discovery of an explosive device and a series of still unexplained deaths, six in total across a southern province near Sochi, which is hosting the Winter Olympic games next month.
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) (Russian: Федеральная служба безопасности Российской Федерации (ФСБ); Federal’naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii). Its main responsibilities are within the country and include counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance as well as investigating some other types of grave crimes.
A source in the Stavropol Territory government told RIA Novosti late Wednesday that “anti-terrorism operations are underway in two districts in the province.”
The Interior Ministry said that “a car containing the body of an unidentified individual exploded as police approached it during one incident Wednesday in Stavropol Territory”, according to a Russian news report (source: http://themoscownews.com/russia/20140109/192149798/Deaths-blast-in-Russias-South-trigger-terrorism-sweep.html).
Three men whose bodies were in three of the cars have been identified: “Two were taxi drivers and the third assembled furniture for a private businessman”, Russian state news agencies reported, citing law enforcement agencies.
Their names have not been released.
The other men were said to be “local residents and drove inexpensive Soviet-model Lada cars”, according to reports yet to be verified.
The three other victims were found late “Wednesday in a fourth vehicle.” An explosive device had been placed next to the car in a metal bucket,but was defused by authorities.
FSB agents literally “swarmed” the entire area according to unconfirmed reports, as roadblocks were set and people were questioned in connection with the investigation.
Putin said after the Volgograd attacks that he would annihilate all “terrorists” in Russia (source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/31/us-russia-blast-idUSBRE9BU05E20131231).