Moscow - A counter-terror operation has been launched by Russia after five
bodies riddled with bullets were found in a southern region bordering
the Winter Olympics host Sochi, less than a month before the start of
the games.
Two districts in the Stavropol region were placed on high alert after
the bodies were found in four cars, one of them apparently
booby-trapped, in the area on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency quoted
the FSB security service as saying.
As police examined one of the cars, which contained the body of a
local resident who had been shot in the head, an improvised explosive
device went off in a nearby ditch, causing no injuries.
Officers then defused another device nearby, the FSB said.
A security source told Interfax the two devices were packed with
small metal elements such as screws to cause maximum injury and
resembled those previously used by insurgents in southern Russia.
Two other bodies were identified as local taxi drivers and were found
in the back seat and in the boot of their cars. The remaining two
bodies were found close to a parked car, Interfax cited the FSB as
saying.
The Investigative Committee, which probes major criminal cases in
Russia, opened investigations into murder, arms trafficking and attempts
on the lives of law enforcement officials.
The Stavropol region borders the Krasnodar region where the Black Sea resort of Sochi is located.
Russia on Tuesday launched the largest security operation in Olympic
history, a month before the Winter Games start on February 6.
Security measures around Sochi include special permits for cars to
enter the city or access Olympic venues, as well as drones monitoring
the region and patrols by army troops.
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