MAKHACHKALA, July 4 (RIA Novosti) - Magomedali Magomedov, the chairman of Daghestan's State Council, said Monday that the North Caucasus republic's law-enforcement bodies were not fighting crime effectively.
"The situation in the republic is difficult," Magomedov said at a half-year review of the Daghestan Interior Ministry's work.
"Endless assaults on law-enforcement bodies and killings of officials continue in the republic," Magomedov said. "There are extremists and wahhabis, who seek to overthrow the authorities and destabilize the situation in the republic."
The State Council chairman demanded that the security forces make more energetic efforts to combat crime.
"We have enough forces in Daghestan to combat crime effectively, but unfortunately the work is poorly targeted," he said.
Magomedov called on the Interior Ministry to step up its efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism. He said the republic's government would support, as it always had, comprehensive efforts to this end.
The Interior Ministry said solving particularly serious crimes recently committed in the republic by terrorists were a priority. The crimes included the killings of Zagif Arukhov, a minister, and Magomed-Zagid Varisov, the head of a local think tank. In addition, a July 2 terrorist attack killed 10 Russian Interior Ministry troops, and wounded other servicemen and bystanders.
The Interior Ministry meeting continued behind closed doors after Magomedov had made his speech.
