Russian Special Forces are stepping up the hunt for a gang of militants hiding out in a mountainous area in Russia's southern republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.
It is part of a major anti-terror effort in the region. Police sources say weapons and explosives have been found in a hidden militant camp.The targeted group is suspected of attacking tourists last weekend, when two masked gunmen stopped a minibus heading for a ski resort on Mount Elbrus. Three tourists were killed and two others injured.Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasus, Aleksandr Khloponin, believes that recent events severely damaged republic’s economy, plunging it at least two years backwards.“It is not enough to eliminate the militants to restore trust, to make people come here again, we have to explain and prove to tourists that it is safe here,” he said Monday.