Moscow, April 7 (IANS): Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his country Monday to ratchet up a fight against terrorism and extremism, saying radicals still had the chance of endangering civilians.

"The situation remains complicated, with the terrorist underworld still retaining, despite serious losses, the possibility of committing terror attacks against civilians," Putin told an expanded Federal Security Service (FSB) meeting.

He recalled the terror bombings in the southern city of Volgograd late last year, which claimed at least 34 lives and injured over 70 other, Xinhua reported.

Radical groups, Putin said, would not only emerge in North Caucasus, but also move into other regions of the country, and would try to "provoke inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts".

The president said he was concerned about the fact that some nationals from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries had been recruited by terrorists and were fighting in Afghanistan, Syria and other regions.

"There is every reason to believe that they may later be used against Russia and our neighbours in the CIS. We should be ready for that and have the entire arsenal of preventive measures," he said.