MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax-AVN) - A Chechen rebel was arrested near Chechnya on Tuesday while trying to organize a terrorist attack, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday.
Ibragim Israpilov, arrested near the resort town of Yessentuki, said Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev had given orders "to conduct terrorist acts outside Chechnya," the FSB Public Relations Center said in a release obtained by Interfax.
The Center said Israpilov was suspected of organizing bombings this fall on the regional FSB headquarters in Magas, Ingushetia, and two commuter trains running between Kislovodsk and Yessentuki.
In May this year, Israpilov was appointed "head of the Southwestern Sector" and tasked with organizing attacks outside Chechnya, the release said.
It cited Israpilov as saying he had repeatedly brought bombs from Ingushetia to the vicinity of the nearby town of Kavkazskiye Mineralniye Vody and handed them to bombers.
"About 20 kg of explosives, 2 kg of plastic explosive, remote-controlled detonators, electric detonators, grenades and firearms have been confiscated from the detainee," the release said.