Putin thanks Trump after CIA helps foil terror plot

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked United States President Donald Trump over the phone for a tip-off that helped prevent a terror attack on its second biggest city.

An intelligence provide by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) helped Russia's Federal Security Service in arresting terrorists, who had plotted bomb attacks in St. Petersburg's Kazan Cathedral and in other crowded places.

The Tass news agency quoted the Kremlin press service as saying, "The Russian president thanked his U.S. counterpart for information shared by the U.S. CIA that helped trace, expose and detain a group of terrorists who had plotted explosions in St. Petersburg's Kazan Cathedral and in other crowded places in that city," the press service said.

The Russian President asked the U.S. President to convey thanks to CIS director and intelligence officers as the information provided by them helped Russia to expose and detain the criminals.

The press service emphasised that Putin has reassured Trump that "the Russian security services, should they have information about possible terrorist threats to the United States and its citizens, will swiftly and unconditionally share it with the U.S. colleagues via partner channels."

At least seven member of a terrorist cell inspired by the Islamic State (IS) were arrested for plotting the terror attacks on December 16 and one of the members accepted in front of a judge that he had planned a bomb attack in the city's landmark Kazan Cathedral.