Russia on alert after five bodies found with gunshot wounds

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/russia-five-bodies-found-sochi-winter-olympics

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Russian security forces are on alert after the discovery of an explosive device and at least five bodies with gunshot wounds in the southern region of Stavropol.

Stavropol, about 300km (190 miles) from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which will host the Winter Olympic Games next month, is the gateway to the North Caucasus region, where Russia faces an insurgency by Islamist militants who have threatened to try to prevent the Olympics going ahead.

President Vladimir Putin, who has staked his political and personal prestige on the Games, has already ordered security measures to be beefed up nationwide after suicide bombers killed at least 34 people in separate attacks last month in Volgograd, another southern Russian city.

The corpses were found late on Wednesday in four cars in two separate locations. A homemade explosive device in a bucket was found near one of the vehicles, according to Russia's investigative committee, which is exploring several possible motives for the crimes, along with the Federal Security Service.

No other details were available and it was not clear if the killings had any connection to the Sochi Games.

The acting governor of the Stavropol region, Vladimir Vladimirov, told the state Rossiya 24 broadcaster that authorities had taken measures "to annihilate or detain criminals who might have taken part in these cases".

Rossiya 24 reported a sixth body was found in similar circumstances and said two of the victims were local taxi drivers. This report could not be confirmed.

The broadcaster showed footage of uniformed security officers searching vehicles and questioning residents in the region on Thursday.

"It is scary," said resident Natalia Petrova. "We fear for ourselves and we fear for our children."

The Winter Olympics open on 7 February in Sochi, which is located on the western edge of the mountainous Caucasus region where the insurgents want to carve out an Islamic state.

Russian forces went on combat alert in Sochi on Tuesday and officials say about 37,000 personnel are now in place to provide security at the Games.

In Washington, the head of the FBI gave a vote of confidence to Russia's Olympic security preparations. "I think the Russian government understands the threat and is devoting the resources to address it," said FBI director James Comey, adding that the FBI would have "at least a couple dozen people" in Moscow and some in Sochi to assist the Russians.

"We have been in regular communication, including me personally, with their security organizstions to make sure that we're co-ordinating well," Comey said.

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