Dagestan adjoins Chechnya , lies at the eastern extremity of the Caucasus mountain range , and the Dagestani capital , Makhachkala , sits on the Caspian coast . Suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev visited Dagestan last year . Dagestan is an impoverished Russian republic in the North Caucasus region . Radical Islamist groups warring against Russia are active , have deep roots in Dagestan . The U.S. government has been concerned about a possible resurgence of militant Islam after the collapse of the Soviet Union and fears that radical Islamists could use Dagestan's proximity to Central Asia as a base for attacks on
Suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev visited Dagestan last year . Dagestan is an impoverished Russian republic in the North Caucasus region . Radical Islamist groups warring against Russia are active , have deep roots in Dagestan . The U.S. government has been concerned about a possible resurgence of militant Islam after the collapse of the Soviet Union and fears that radical Islamists could use Dagestan's proximity to Central Asia as a base for attacks on