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Subscribe to RSSMOSCOW - Russian security forces killed three militants suspected of planning attacks on church services during the Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday, authorities said.
Security forces tried to stop a van in the restive North Caucasus province of Kabardino-Balkaria on Sunday but its occupants opened fire and were killed in the ensuing battle, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in a statement.
It said that explosives, guns and ammunition were found in the van and that the men who were killed had been planning attacks on churches during services marking Russian Orthodox Christmas, which is on Monday.
Full Russia coverage from NBC News
The statement gave no evidence to support that suspicion and the account could not be verified.
Deadly exchanges of gunfire between police and suspected militants at road checkpoints are common in Russia's North Caucasus, a string of provinces hit by an Islamist insurgency rooted in two separatist wars in Chechnya.
Brutality, anger fuel jihad in Russia's Caucasus
Kabardino-Balkaria, west of Chechnya, is mostly Muslim but has a sizable Christian minority.
President Vladimir Putin's 13 years in power have been marred by violence in the North Caucasus and attacks by the insurgents elsewhere, and he has called repeatedly for ethnic and religious peace during a new term that started last May.
Putin attended a midnight Russian Orthodox Christmas service early on Monday in Sochi, a Black Sea and Caucasus Mountain resort about 185 miles west of Kabardino-Balkaria that is to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
As the Olympics come to an end in London, there are the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia to look forward to. NBC's Jim Maceda reports.
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Leave a Comment:
NEW WORLD ORDER plan no.1
destroy religion!!
Destroy religion? You really consider hate terror and death that is being dealt out by these Islamists religion? Maybe it is in the same way Nazism appealed to brainwashed masses so goes Islam.
No...It IS a New World disease: islamic fanatacism. WE People Have The Right to Practice and enjoin in Any religion we feel the need to. These islamic geeks are intolerant of any except the religious adoration of a 53 YO pedaphile, mohammed, who forced a six (6) year old child to "wed" him; and "consummated" the act when this CHILD turned nine (9) years old. These islamics despise Women and/or Female Wisdom and Intelligence, which, without a doubt, makes them feel threatened. These "men" are obsessed to Mistreat, Harm and/or Kill Women; who threaten their questionable behavior as they, the "men" walk around holding hands; as in Saudi Arabia where Women are traditionally publicly beheaded. They are Evil and Sickening and will be Eliminated.
New World order destroy all religion? Actually it sounds like the old world communist Russia. Glad to see they are allowing people to go to church. Too bad the Muslims can't.
Glad this was discovered before another catastrophe happened but could we please get more information on this story???
The world will be a better place without religion. History, including recent history, is rife with war, murder, and barbarity.. All due to religion. And pretty much no religion is exempt from guilt.
If we got rid of religion, we could almost end war, once and for all. Except for greed over land and resources, there aren't many other reasons mankind goes to war. Religion however, is the number one reason by far, and has been for several thousand years.
End war, become an Atheist.
good luck at ending religion. every country on the planet has some sort of god and religion.
Please it's not ALL due to religion.
Ya because without religion we all hold hands and sing songs like the Soviets. You are the most ignorant person I seen and I think your just trolling. Religion has been the least reason for all conflicts and more of a excuse. Crusades were more about securing resources for Trading states which is why they attacked orthodox Christians mentioned and saked Constantinople
all religion is superstition
Hey there freedom4everyone:::: I will say a prayer for you, you need it.
There is a great evil in the world and is slowly
infiltrating our government. It is call zionism. They think that we (goyem)
were put on this earth to serve them. They use our sons and daughters to fight
wars with islam because in their mind they are better than US. They are cowards. This cancer must
be removed from our halls of congress. Geitner, Levin, Lieberman, Bernanke, Feinstein, Bloomberg,
Schumer, Big sis, and Raum Emanual. They want to take over America
because their banking fraud is crumbling. The only way they can do that is to
take our arms away. The zionists want to do away with the bill of rights and
the constitution to make slaves of all of US. They are going to collapse our
economy and wait for the sheeple to cry out for help. The help they will give
you is a room at a Fema camp. You think I'm crazy, research it. Read the
Talmud. Killing US is not a sin in their minds. Personally, I have many
questions about the Newton shootings. Who were the 2nd and 3rd people they arrested.
The one proned out in the woods. Eyewitnesses in both events say there were
multiple shooters. The story keeps
changing and getting more bizarre every day. The fathers of both the Aurora and
Newton shooters were supposed to testify before congress about the Libor
scandal. Coincidence, I think not. Start arresting some domestic enemies and
things will change for the better. Are there any patriots left in DC? Why are
all the gun grabbers jewish?
Heil Hitler!
Huh? Being Christian does not mean joining a hate group.
NEW WORLD ORDER is both religious and secular views and should be treated as such.
For anyone who thinks ending religion would end wars, how naive you are about the human condition. Something would substitute. Power is power, religion based or not. How about the secular state of China. You think that is the ideal situation? Poverty, totalitarianism to the ultimate degree. You think North Korea cares about religion? Maybe what we need is more religion , not less. I do not consider people who ride around in vans full of explosives trying to blow up churches of other religions very religious people.
Great post.
One million of my countrymen killed in name of the atheist purge is another good example and reason why Russia is more devoted to religion after hiding in secret. Atheist like above are no different then any religious zealots would do the same violence and persecution given the chance. People will always find a way to justify violence rather it a political, race religion or any other concept.
What a world. A former KGB Communist agent is defending Christianity and goes to mass at an Orthodox church. Lenin and Stalin must be turning in their graves. Russia will never allow Islamic states on its Southern Border. That is how the Cossacks got their start by defending the Southern borders of Russia against the Muslims. Today there are Cossacks in both Russia and the Ukraine and it appears they have the same job.
The thing I like about Putin is that if and when the crazy Muslims try anything in that region they get eliminated, and that is how it ought to be everywhere on earth.
Merry Christmas. I am glad that these violent people were caught in time.
By the way, on the Old Calendar (13 days later than the Gregorian calendar), we also escaped December 21st (which was January 3 on the old calendar).
I pray for peace in the whole world in this coming year, and I hope that many of the world's problems may be faced and fixed. Russia knows about the methane in the arctic, that is going to destroy the world with warming if it isn't addressed. I hope every year that people use their God-given talents to help, not to destroy the world.
I personally hope that my husband's cancer goes into remission too. Every year there are so many hopes that all people have; here's hoping that good prevails.