ALBAWABA - A gang of foreign extremists who were reportedly planning a bombing assault on the Pskov train station in western Russia were eliminated, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Thursday.
"The suspects, identified as members of a Central Asian terrorist cell, resisted arrest and engaged in a gunfight with security forces," the FSB said in an official statement. The CIA verified that every terrorist was killed during the gunfight.
The Moscow Times stated that security personnel stormed a residence and a private flat at night in a video provided by Russian authorities. The video shows an explosion, firing at a door, and the finding of many bodies—some with rifles—as well as explosives and ammunition.
Russian intelligence said that the individuals were building bombs and were connected to an unidentified international terrorist group. They allegedly intended to escape to the Middle East after setting off a bomb at the train station.
Authorities stressed that foreign operations have been more active in Russian soil, although they did not identify the terrorists' precise nationality.
Since the March 2024 assault on the Crocus Concert Hall outside Moscow, Russia has been on high alert for any terrorist attacks. The ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K) offshoot claimed responsibility for the assault, which killed 145 lives.
Russian security authorities have stepped up counterterrorism operations and heightened surveillance of foreign-affiliated extremist networks in the nation in reaction to recent threats.
