Russia says its troops have killed 49 militants in a massive security sweep in the volatile North Caucasus region, this after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently criticised senior security officials for failing to bring the region under control. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Northern Caucasus has experienced increased inter-ethnic tensions linked to the separatist movement in Chechnya. But analysts also point to an Islamist resurgence in the area. RFI spoke to Sabine Freizer, a North Caucasus, expert about the latest developments.
