Chechen MIA: no more than 4 Chechens perished in special operation in Ingushetia

Law enforcement bodies of the Chechen Republic refute information about huge losses among peaceful citizens as a result of the militaries' operation near the Ingush village of Arshty. According to the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), in the Sunzha District of Ingushetia four residents of the Achkhoy-Martan District of Chechnya were lost and one more is considered to be missing.

"The information disseminated by some media that in the special operation of federal troops conducted in the vicinity of Arshty, Sunzha District of Ingushetia, up to 14 civilians were lost has nothing to do with reality," a source from the local MIA told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He has noted that under the order of President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, Colonel Roman Edilov, Deputy Interior Minister of the republic, personally visited the district and met the resident of Achkhoy-Martan, who was wounded in the incident, and victims' relatives.

"Three casualties had gunshot wounds, and the fourth was killed by explosion," the source asserts. "Local residents happened to be in the zone, where the skirmish was held between bandits and militaries, and were lost from the cross fire. Adlan Mutaev was wounded, but could get out of the fire zone by his own. However, he had his feet seriously frost-bitten. One more local resident - Mair-Ali-Vakhaev - is regarded as missing person."

Meanwhile, according to the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", the residents of Chechnya, who perished near Arshty fell victims of an extrajudicial execution committed by federal servicemen. They were shot dead from an ambush; and the body of one of them - Movsar Tataev had not only gunshot but also knife wounds, which evidences, in the opinion of human rights activists, that he was tortured.

"It's nothing else but an extrajudicial execution of armless peaceful residents, whose only guilt was that they were gathering ramson in the area, where soldiers were conducting their special operation. Instead of making public the fact of brutal execution of innocent persons, the leadership of the Chechen Republic does everything possible to hide this crime and take the chasteners in military uniform away from punishment. For this purpose, the casualties' relatives were paid out 300,000 roubles and promised an investigation," a leader of one of Chechen NGOs, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The republic's Ombudsman keeps silent, same as heads of numerous human rights and public organizations, who become so furious as soon as someone criticizes local authorities. While only the 'Memorial' is engaged in investigating the real circumstances of the incident near Arshty. I believe that it's now a sort of a 'moment of truth' also for the plenipotentiary Alexander Khloponin, same as for the republic's leadership, human rights activist and the whole society. This cold-blooded murder of peaceful citizens should get its due estimate, and the gunmen in military uniform should face justice," the source is convinced.