Russian security agents are reported to be hunting down as many as four different suspects — females dubbed “black widows” by law enforcement — who may have been tasked with carrying out terrorist attacks at the Sochi Olympics in February.
Wanted posters have sprung all over Sochi, NBC News reported. One suspect, Ruzan Ibragimova, or Ruzana for short, is a 23-year-old widow of an Islamic radical who was killed last year in a skirmish with Russian security. She’s described as having a leg limp and a left arm that doesn’t bend. NBC said she also has a 4-inch scar on one of her cheeks.
Russian authorities say she’s recently departed Dagestan and could be headed for Sochi to take revenge for her husband’s death. The Olympic Games open in about three weeks.
Two more suicide bombers just released a video that warns of an attack at the Olympics in response to Muslims’ blood that’s been shed around the world. In the video, the militants warn President Vladimir Putin: “We’ll have a surprise package for you. And those tourists that will come to you — for them, too, we have a surprise.”
Terrorist groups in the Caucasus area of Russia frequently turn to women, or “black widows,” to carry out their attacks. Their logic: Female militants are more difficult to catch because they don’t fit normal profiles and blend well in crowds.
Meanwhile, Russia’s government has vowed to protect Sochi with a “ring of steel,” NBC reported. Fox News reported that an estimated 100,000 security forces will be on hand for the games.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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