Georgia's State Security Service has denied comments by the breakaway region of South Ossetia that the IS group has a presence in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge and could carry out attacks.
Irakli Beraia, the head of the State Security Service's analytical department, said comments from South Ossetia's David Sanakoev at a meeting of the Joint Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism yesterday were incorrect, according to RIA Novosti.
Russian President Putin says that Turkey carried out an "act of hostility" when it downed the Russian Su-24 jet near the Syrian border last month.
Putin added that Turkey then "hid behind NATO."
Putin was speaking in his annual press conference in Moscow.
Putin has commented on the deployment by Russia of its S-400 anti aircraft systems to Syria in the wake of the downing last month by Turkey of a Russian Su-24 jet.
If Turkish planes violated Syrian air space before, "let them fly now," he said.
Russia had been ready to cooperate with Turkey "on sensitive issues, and after a short time, they downed the Su-24" Putin said in comments relating to the downing by Turkey of a Russian Su-24 jet near the Syrian border last month.
RFE/RL's Glenn Kates tweets this about Putin's comments on the Turkomans, ethnic Turks in northern Syria whom Turkey accuses Russia of targeting.
A tweet from Putin's official account:
"Russia has reinforced its [air] group in Syria. We have deployed the S-400 system. We have shown Syria's air defense system to be in working order."
Putin says that North Caucasian militants -- those fighting in Syria -- are being treated and resting in Turkey.
Putin says of Russia's involvement in Syria: "We are not trying to be bigger Syrians than the Syrians themselves."
"Russia's plan for a resolution to the situation in Syria coincides in its main points with that of the United States," Putin says.
"A political settlement is the only way to resolve the conflict in Syria," says Putin.