Seven IS suspects arrested in Russia

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday said it has detained seven people suspected of being involved with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group and plotting terrorist attacks in Russia's major cities.

The suspects, detained on Sunday in the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg, included citizens of Russia and Central Asian countries, Xinhua quoted a FSB statement as saying. They were led by an IS member from Turkey.

The intelligence agency said a laboratory was found at their residence, along with components for improvised explosive devices and extremist literature.

The suspects intended to carry out terrorist attacks in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Sverdlovsk region of the Ural Mountains, the FSB said.

It also confirmed that the suspected terrorists planned to flee to Syria after their plotted attacks, and join IS ranks in the war-torn country.

An investigation was underway to establish their criminal contacts.

Russia has strengthened security and anti-terror measures in major cities and several regions, as the IS threatened retaliation for Russia's airstrike mission in Syria, which began in September 2015.