MOSCOW, March 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law an anti-terrorism bill that allows the shooting down of hijacked planes under certain circumstances, the Kremlin said on Monday.

    The new legislation, whose concept was worked out after a series of terrorist attacks in Russia in 2004, replaced the federal law on fighting terrorism that had been in effect since 1998.

    The document keeps the provision under which secret services may tap telephone conversations and control electronic communications in the area of an anti-terrorist operation.

    The law gives the Federal Security Service the leading role in anti-terrorist operations, but the military may be called in to stop aircraft or ships being used for terrorist attacks or hijacked by terrorists.

    Under the law, the armed forces are allowed to shoot down aircraft if terrorists seize the plane to strike "vital facilitiesor tensely populated areas."

    The president is given the power to decide on the use of the armed forces in fighting terrorism outside Russia in keeping with international accords Russia signed.

    The bill breezed through the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on Feb. 26 and the upper house, the Federation Councilon March 1. Enditem