State of Alert Declared in Russia Due to Concerns Over Return of Jihadists from Syria

The head of the Russian security agency announced on Tuesday, December 12, that a state of alert has been declared for the agency's forces to address the "possible return of jihadists" from Syria and Iraq to the country. According to Agence France-Presse, this agency estimated that around 2,900 Russian citizens joined the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2015. The agency also stated that "several thousand" individuals from Central Asian countries have joined ISIS. Russia will hold presidential elections in the spring of 2018 and will host the FIFA World Cup in the summer of the same year. To prevent any terrorist incidents during these two events, the FSB has declared a state of alert. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the agency, described the potential return of "former members of illegal armed groups from the Middle East" to Russia as a "serious threat" to the country. The alert for Russian security forces comes just days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the return of Russian forces from Syria during a visit to the country. On Monday, December 11, Mr. Putin noted the "achievement of the common goal of Moscow and Damascus in destroying the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria" and announced that part of the Russian forces would withdraw from Syria after two years. Last Thursday, the Russian President also reported a "complete victory" over ISIS on both sides of the Euphrates River in Syria and mentioned that it was time to move towards the beginning of the political process. Russian air operations in Syria began in 2015, which is referred to as Moscow's largest intervention in Middle Eastern affairs in decades. Russia will host the World Cup from June 14 to July 15 in 13 cities. The presidential elections in Russia will be held in March 2018, late winter. Vladimir Putin officially announced his candidacy for this position this week.