Ex-Russian officer jailed for fighting with Islamic State in Syria

A former Russian military captain was sentenced onTuesday to 19 years in prison for fighting alongside the IslamicState extremist group in Syria, state media reported. Denis Khisamov is believed to have participated in 10 operations withthe Islamist group in Syria, including a deadly attack on the town ofAl-Rai near the Turkish border.Khisamov, who had left the Russian military in 2009, confessed toparticipating in attacks that killed several people, state newsagency TASS reported.Khisamov was found guilty of providing training for terroristactivities and participating in an organization that the Russianstate has outlawed as terrorist.Southern Russia has for decades struggled with an Islamist insurgencyseeking to establish an independent Islamic country. Many of thoseinsurgents are believed to have gone to Syria or Iraq to fight forIslamic State.As the militant group is defeated in Syria and Iraq, Russianauthorities have become increasingly concerned about these fightersreturning home. Russian President Vladimir Putin said two years ago that there wereabout 10,000 nationals of former Soviet countries fighting forIslamic State in Syria.