Russia has said it has detained three militants with ties to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in the volatile North Caucasus region of Daghestan.
Russia's National Antiterrorist Committee said on March 17 that the suspects had been detained in Daghestan's western region of Khasavyurt, which borders the North Caucasus region of Chechnya.
The committee said the suspects confessed to having links with IS and revealed the location of a hideout where police recovered a large amount of explosives.
Daghestan is beset by deadly violence linked to an Islamist insurgency that is rooted in two post-Soviet separatist wars in Chechnya.
Organized crime, business turf wars, political disputes, and clan rivalry also contribute to the bloodshed.
Moderate Muslims, journalists, police, and government officials are regularly targeted in attacks.