Syrian supporters of Al-Nusra march in Aleppo
Syrian supporters of Al-Nusra march in AleppoAFP photo

The Islamist rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad have been helped by thousands of foreign terrorists, from elsewhere in the Middle East and from as far as the United States. A significant portion have come from the Caucasus, even forming their own rebel battalion.

Now the leader of one Islamist group is telling them to stay home – and attack there.

According to RIA Novosti, terrorist leader identifying himself as Salah-a-Din has released a video urging Russian terrorists in the Caucasus to focus on attacking their own government. Speaking in Russian, “Salah-a-Din” told would-be jihadists that it would be “not quite right” to leave the battle for “our Caucasus” for another.

He suggested that Russian Islamists attack Russian cities, including Moscow.

“Prepare for the so-called Olympic Games in Sochi,” he said, referring to the Winter Olympics which are scheduled to take place in the south-western Russian city, near the Georgian border.

Russia, along with Iran, has been a key supporter of the Assad regime, supplying weapons and other resources to the embattled Syrian government in its 2-year fight against rebel groups.

Islamists in the Caucasus have carried out frequent terrorist attacks in recent years. Recently a Chabad rabbi was shot at short range in the Dagestan region, which has suffered several attacks, in what police believe may have been terrorism-inspired violence.

The "Boston Bombers" were also believed to have been radicalized among Islamist groups in Dagestan.