24 October 2016, 02:50
On October 17-23, 2016, at least 9 persons fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus
During the week of October 17-23, 2016, at least 9 persons fell victim to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, eight were killed, and one person was wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.
The death toll includes six suspected members of the armed underground, including four in Dagestan, one in Chechnya, and one – in Kabardino-Balkaria, and two civilians, both killed in Dagestan.
Attacks on law enforcers
At about 10:30 p.m. Moscow time of October 21, in the Kizilyurt District of Dagestan law enforcers tried to stop a passenger car on the outskirts of the village of Stalskoe. A driver failed to obey the request of the law enforcers, and fire was opened on the policemen out of the car. As a result of the subsequent shootout, both suspected militants from the car were killed. According to the updated information of the law enforcement bodies, one of the suspects killed in the Dagestani village of Stalskoe was a member of the "Khasavyurt" militant grouping, and the second one was his accomplice.
On October 23, in the Gudermes District of Chechnya, a man stabbed several times a policeman, then took his service submachine gun and tried to escape. As a result of the declared interception plan, the attacker was cordoned off. When offered to lay down arms, he opened fire on policemen and was killed by return fire. The policeman who got stab wounds was brought to hospital. He has got injuries of moderate severity, and his life is out of danger.
Special and counterterrorist operations
At 5:00 a.m. Moscow time of October 18, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) legal regime was introduced within the territory of the Buynaksk District of Dagestan, and law enforcers organized a complex of operational and search activities to search for persons connected with the armed underground.
Starting from 10:00 p.m. Moscow time of October 21, the CTO legal regime was introduced in the village of Kvanada of the Tsumada District of Dagestan. A quick armed clash occurred on the outskirts of the village of Kvanada. Earlier, unidentified people opened fire on fighters of the federal forces engaged in search activities. The area where the armed clash occurred was cordoned off. When the law enforcers found the people who shelled them, they offered the attackers to lay down their arms and surrender. The suspects refused and opened fire. Two members of illegal armed formations (IAFs) were killed in the course of the armed clash. The killed men were preliminary identified. Both of them were in hiding since 2014, after they joined the "Tsumada" grouping of militants. The killed suspects were involved in attacks on law enforcers and extortion of money from entrepreneurs. At 11:30 a.m. Moscow time of October 23, the CTO legal regime was lifted.
Explosions and terror acts
On October 21, a VAZ-2107 car was found on the federal highway Urvan-Ushtuda in the Cherek District of Kabardino-Balkaria. Inside the car, policemen discovered TNT blocks, ammonium nitrate, F-1 grenades, mines, and ammunition. Not far from the car, the policemen found fragments of body of a local resident, who presumably was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) with power of about 3 kg of TNT equivalent. Inside the car with ammunition, law enforcers found documents in the name of a local resident who was wanted as a missing person. Investigators do not rule out that they belonged to the man killed in the explosion. In a short distance from the car, in a wooded area, apart from ammunition law enforcers discovered an IED loaded with striking elements.
Attacks on civilians
At about 6:30 p.m. Moscow time of October 19, on the 65th kilometre of the highway Khasavyurt-Tlokh, in the vicinity of the village of Danukh of the Gumbet District of Dagestan, unidentified attackers shelled from firearms a foreign-made car driven by a director of the company engaged in transportation of money intended for payment of pensions to residents of the Gumbet District. The man and his wife who was also in the car died at the scene from injuries. After the shelling, the attackers stole money from the car, presumably 13 million roubles, and fled. On October 22, law enforcers detained three men on suspicion of double murder and theft of approximately 13 million roubles. A pistol and a submachine gun were seized from the suspected participants of the armed assault. Later, law enforcers detained the fourth suspected participant of the attack.
