Minister: number of terrorist attacks in Russia halved since 2011October 31, 2013 - 10:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The head of Russia's police force said the number of terrorist attacks in the country had halved since 2011, though he gave no actual figures on the issue, long shrouded in murky statistics. "We're observing a downward trend in terror crimes during the past three years. The number of terror attacks has decreased by half," Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said, according to RIA Novosti. Kolokoltsev, who spoke before the Federation Council, also complained that news outlets were making "heroes" out of terrorists by reporting about their lives. That statement comes hot on the heels of a high-profile suicide bombing that killed six in the southern city of Volgograd. The attack was blamed on the North Caucasus' Islamist insurgency, a leader of which recently lifted a moratorium on attacks on Russian civilians. That move raised questions about security at the upcoming Winter Olympics, to take place in the Caucasus Mountains. No common federal statistics are available for terrorism-related crimes in Russia. The Interior Ministry has said there were 622 "terror-related crimes" in 2011, including 29 actual terrorist attacks. The Federal Security Service reported 365 such crimes for the same year. Then-President Dmitry Medvedev put the figure at 94, and the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace has said there were 184. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |