Russia’s security forces on Thursday imposed a military lockdown on part of Ingushetia, a Russian province bordering Chechnya, following mounting unrest in the troubled, mostly Muslim area. The federal security service, or FSB, designated the northern outskirts of Karabulak, a town in the centre of Ingushetia, as a “zone of counter-terrorism operations,” Interfax news agency reported.RIA Novosti news agency reported that armoured fighting vehicles and troops had been deployed to the area, which has been the scene of repeated violence recently, including the murder of a Russian school teacher’s family.
An FSB spokesman explained that an insurgent leader “and his band” were believed to be hiding in northern Karabulak. The underground leader, Magomed Albakov is wanted for murder, attacks on the security forces and terrorism, Interfax reported. The “zone of counter-terrorism” designation, which has long been imposed on war-torn Chechnya, shifts the emphasis of security measures from regular police duties to military sweeps and offensive operations. There will be “thorough searches of all vehicles and their contents, as well as of citizens and personal belongings,” the FSB was quoted as saying by Interfax.