The level of terrorist threat in the North Caucasus has significantly reduced over recent years. Viktor Zolotov, Russian National Guard Chief, told TASS in an interview. The full text of the interview will be published on 8 April.
“In 2017, the National Guard took command of the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus, formed more than 20 years ago. Over this period, joint effort in the region have achieved a significant reduction in the terrorist threat”, he said. According to him, some small radical cells still exist. “But the activities of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Interior Ministry (MVD) and the National Guard make it possible to expose them in a timely manner”, Zolotov told.
He recalled that recently one of the most notorious ringleaders, involved in the terrorist attack on Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport in 2011, had been eliminated in the Chechen Republic. National Guard officers also took part in the operation.
Zolotov said that National Guard officers were also combating terrorism in Syria. “It is not a secret anymore that National Guard forces are involved in the fight against terrorism in the Syrian Arab Republic, where our units have been stationed since 2018. Our experience has proven to be in demand on this long-suffering land. Our troops in Syria are ensuring the safety of humanitarian missions, escorting convoys and participating in demining”, the Russian National Guard Chief said.
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Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS