Russian security officers work at the site of an explosion near a bus stop at Michurinsky Avenue in Moscow, capital of Russia, Moscow March 9, 2011. (Xinhua/Lu Jinbo)
MOSCOW, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Monday that it has detained members of an Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the Moscow region.
"They planned to commit resonant terrorist acts in September 2017 in the form of explosions in crowded places and transport infrastructure facilities," it said in a statement.
The FSB did not disclose the number of detainees "in the interest of the investigation."
The group, led by foreign emissaries, consisted of Russian citizens from the North Caucasus region, who were "supporters of the violent unification of all Muslims in order to create the so-called World Islamic Caliphate."
Two improvised explosive devices, two pistols, two hand grenades, communication equipment and items for the production of explosive devices were seized at their residence.
Russia foiled 12 terrorist attack attempts in the first half of 2017, according to a recent report by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.
Over the last few months, the FSB has published several reports on the detention of IS-linked suspects, mostly citizens of Central Asia.