Dmitry Medvedev, Oleg Deripaska, and Dmitry Kozak inspect the Olympic Village
Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (2nd R), accompanied by Oleg Deripaska (R), Russian billionaire and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Basic Element company, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (L), inspects the Olympic Village at the coastal cluster of the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, December 16, 2013. REUTERS/Yekaterina Shtukina/RIA Novosti REUTERS/Yekaterina Shtukina/RI

Russia is now on high alert after discovering bodies in bomb-rigged cars near Sochi, host city of February's 2014 Winter Olympics.

Six bodies riddled with bullets were discovered in in four cars in two separate districts outside the regional capital Stavropol. One car was found booby-trapped. It went off but fortunately didn't harm anyone. One body, shot in the head, was found shot in the parked and booby-trapped Lada car. Two other cars were found in the village of Zolskaya in a neighboring district. The first contained a body in the back seat. The other body was found in the trunk of the second car parked on a nearby street. Both victims had been shot.

The three other bodied were found in another car in Maryinskaya village. On Thursday, Russia immediately launched a counter-terrorism operation.

"A counter-terrorism operation has been launched from midnight on January 9 in the Predgorny and Kirov districts of the Stavropol region," the Stavropol regional administration said in a statement. Located 300 km (190 miles) from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Stavropol is Russia's gateway to the North Caucasus region.

Vladimir Markin, spokesman for the Investigative Committee, said investigators are currently trying to establish the motives behind the murders.

"It is scary," Natalia Petrova, a local resident, told state Rossiya 24 broadcaster. "We fear for ourselves and we fear for our children."

Vladimir Vladimirov, acting governor of the Stavropol region, said authorities have orders "to annihilate or detain criminals who might have taken part in these cases."

The 2014 Winter Olympics opens on Feb 7 in Sochi. About 37,000 personnel are now in place to provide security at the Games.