Russia: Fifteen Muslims arrested with Qur'ans, explosives, and weapons
Police found Qur'ans...
Moscow police have arrested 15 members of Takfir Wal-Hijra, an
extremist organization. The cell had a stash of weapons and explosives, which
was seized in the police raid.
The cell was exposed and busted thanks to ongoing
investigations into crimes not related to terrorism, the Interior Ministry
reported. Members of the group were involved in various acts of crime to fund
their activity.
Fourteen radicals were arrested overnight in the east of the
city, while another was apprehended hours later at a different location.
Police seized three improvised explosive devices complete with
detonators. One of the bombs was designed to be belt-stripped.
Among other items discovered were bomb components, handguns,
grenades, ammo and extremist literature, the ministry statement said.
Takfir Wal-Hijra is a radical Islamist organization, which was
formed in Egypt in the 1970s.
Members of the group adhere to one of the most fundamental
forms of Islam and observe very strict rules, including a ban on being
photographed, documented and often even talked to by non-members.
It was not reported to have any cells in Russia or neighboring
countries until about five years ago, Elena Suponina, head of the Center for
Asia and Near East of the Russian Institute for Strategic Research told RIA
Novosti.
The expert added that the cell detained in Moscow may not have
a direct connection with Egyptian ranks of the organization, but rather just
used the well-known name.
“Still since
they share the ideology and are prepared to resort to violence to reach their
goals, they are certainly dangerous,” she said.
The underground organization mostly focuses on propaganda and
recruiting new members, although they are known to occasionally use violence,
the expert said.
Back in 1977, Takfir Wal-Hijra was crushed by Egyptian
security forces in response to the murder of an Islamic scholar and a former
government minister.
The organization’s decentralized structure is said to have
been used by Osama Bin Laden as a template for the creation of Al-Qaeda.
It’s not clear how much the cells operating under the name
today have in common
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