At least 800 Russians fighting alongside Islamic State, says senior diplomat

A senior Russian diplomat said that at least 800 Russians are fighting alongside the Islamic State (IS) group.

According to The Washington Times, Ilya Rogachev, the head of Russia's Foreign Ministry's department for modern challenges and threats, disclosed the statistic while speaking on Ekho Moskvy radio Friday.

Rogachev said that out of those who went to fight alongside the Islamic State, many were from the Russian province of Chechnya and other regions in the North Caucasus. It is reported that prominent commanders within the Islamic State are using their influence to source new recruits for the terror group.