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| Russia's southern Stavropol region on alert after bodies found | Russia's southern Stavropol region on alert after bodies found |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russia has put security forces on combat alert in the southern Stavropol region after the discovery of five bodies with gunshot wounds and an explosive device, a regional security spokesman said. | Russia has put security forces on combat alert in the southern Stavropol region after the discovery of five bodies with gunshot wounds and an explosive device, a regional security spokesman said. |
| Russia has already tightened security before next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi – on which President Vladimir Putin has staked a lot of political and personal prestige – and is on high alert after suicide bombers killed at least 34 people in separate attacks in the southern city of Volgograd last month. | Russia has already tightened security before next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi – on which President Vladimir Putin has staked a lot of political and personal prestige – and is on high alert after suicide bombers killed at least 34 people in separate attacks in the southern city of Volgograd last month. |
| The five bodies were discovered on Wednesday in four cars in two separate districts outside the regional capital Stavropol, a gateway to the North Caucasus, where Russia faces an insurgency by Islamist militants who have threatened to prevent the Olympics going ahead. | The five bodies were discovered on Wednesday in four cars in two separate districts outside the regional capital Stavropol, a gateway to the North Caucasus, where Russia faces an insurgency by Islamist militants who have threatened to prevent the Olympics going ahead. |
| An unidentified explosive device was also found near one of the vehicles, said a spokesman for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in Stavropol. No other details were immediately available. | An unidentified explosive device was also found near one of the vehicles, said a spokesman for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in Stavropol. No other details were immediately available. |
| Putin said after the Volgograd attacks that he would annihilate all terrorists in Russia. | Putin said after the Volgograd attacks that he would annihilate all terrorists in Russia. |
| The Winter Olympics open in Sochi on 7 February. The Black Sea resort is on the western edge of the Caucasus mountains, where the insurgents want to carve out an Islamic state. | The Winter Olympics open in Sochi on 7 February. The Black Sea resort is on the western edge of the Caucasus mountains, where the insurgents want to carve out an Islamic state. |
| The head of Russia's Olympic committee has said no more can be done to safeguard the Games because every measure possible is already in place. | |
| Russian forces went on combat alert in Sochi on Tuesday and about 37,000 personnel are now in place to provide security at the Games, Russian officials say. | Russian forces went on combat alert in Sochi on Tuesday and about 37,000 personnel are now in place to provide security at the Games, Russian officials say. |
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