Russia's President Vladimir Putin said recent attacks in Russia and abroad underscored the persistence of terror threats worldwide and called law enforcement officers to act to prevent terrorism.
Putin also emphasized Russia's role in the fight against international terror, equating continuing violence by militants in Chechnya and Dagestan with recent attacks in Britain, Iraq, Turkey, Israel and Egypt.
The attacks "show that terrorism remains one of the main threats in the world," Putin said in televised comments.
"Russia will carry out an important part of the joint work in the fight against terror," he said, addressing top Interior Ministry officers in the Kremlin. "Your actions in this area must have a pre-emptive, preventive character."
Russia has been hit by a series of terror attacks in recent years, linked mainly to the lingering conflict in Chechnya. A spate of attacks last summer culminated with the seizure of a school in the town of Beslan that killed more than 330 people.
Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, has seen dozens of attacks this year, mostly targeting law enforcement and government officials and fueling fears that violence was spreading in the volatile Caucasus region.
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