MOSCOW – Russia is accusing its foe Georgia of helping Al Qaeda send terrorists to Chechnya.
Georgian National Security Council chief Eka Tkeshelashvili dismissed Tuesday's claim as "laughable propaganda."
Russian news agencies quoted Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov as saying tapes confiscated from insurgents showed that Georgian intelligence services have helped train terrorists and send them across the border to Chechnya on behalf of Al Qaeda and its allies in Russia.
A recent upsurge in bombings and other attacks in Russia's North Caucasus has alarmed the Kremlin, which has often blamed violence on the restive region on external forces.
Bortnikov's remarks added to tension between Russia and Georgia after their August 2008 war.
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