Moscow
\nTwo Russian religious figures allegedly involved in recruiting fighters for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) have been taken into custody, officials announced on Monday.
\nThe arrest warrants were executed in Tyumen Region in Western Siberia, Russia\u2019s Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service (FSB) jointly reported. The two individuals are accused of committing crimes between February 2015 and November 2022.
\nAccording to investigators, the pair convinced 19 people living in the region to join jihadists in Syria. One of the suspects allegedly made public statements condoning terrorism. Both urged people to send donations to IS, which amounted to material support of terrorism under Russian law, the statements claimed.
\nFootage released by the FSB indicated that the suspects did not resist arrest. Neither agency has named them.
\nIS originated from radical Islamist forces in Iraq and came to international prominence after gaining strength in 2014, when it capitalized on the lack of security in the country as well as the turmoil in neighboring Syria. The jihadists\u2019 lightning offensive that year allowed them to capture Mosul, Iraq\u2019s second-largest city, as well as large swathes of territory in Syria.
\nThe group has since been largely defeated militarily and fractured under local and international pressure, though some splinters remain active, particularly in Afghanistan. Terrorist cells affiliated with IS remain a threat in southern parts of Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moscow Two Russian religious figures allegedly involved in recruiting fighters for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) have been taken into custody, officials announced on Monday. The arrest warrants were executed in Tyumen Region in Western Siberia, Russia\u2019s Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service (FSB) jointly reported. The two individuals are accused of committing crimes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-423094","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n