200 terrorists are fighting for al-Qaeda in Syria – FSB
This was stated by the Director of the Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov. According to Bortnikov, a few dozen to a few hundred “fighters’ from Russia and other countries are engaged in the fighting in Syria.according to Voice of Russia ,Tass.
“Russia is concerned about the engagement of about 200″militants” in that fight on the side of the Caucasus Emirate under the flag of Al Qaeda and other affiliated structures,” he said on Thursday after an international conference of chiefs of security services and law enforcement bodies – partners of the Federal Security Service held in Kazan.
“Militants” from other countries are heading to North Africa, he added.
“Our partners estimate that between several dozen and several hundred “militants “from other countries are participating in the armed conflict in Syria on the side of international terrorist organizations”, – the FSB chief said.
According to Alexander Bortnikov, the participants in the conference focused on measures to prevent “militants” who received extensive training in terror warfare tactics from returning to the countries they came from.
Those attending the conference came to the conclusion that terrorist groups in North Africa, first of all, in Syria, pose a serious threat to all countries, including Russia, the post-Soviet republics, European countries and the entire American continent, Bortnikov said.
“We agreed that it was a very serious threat to all states, not only to Russia and CIS countries, but also to countries in Europe and on the American continent,” Bortnikov said.
“Militants” are intensifying their operations and going there [to Syria],” he said.
“The danger is that these terrorists will eventually return to their home countries,” the FSB director stressed.
“What shall we do and how can we thwart the plans and intentions of those who have been trained and learned how to fight? How can we keep them off our territories? This problem was heatedly debated at the meeting,” he said.
R.Sawas