In Northern Caucasus, attacks on civilians continued despite Dokku Umarov's promise to stop terror acts against civilian targets

After the statement of Dokku Umarov, the leader of the "Imarat Kavkaz", about ceasing the attacks on civilians in Russia because of the outbreak of protests against the government, there was a series of attacks on civilian targets and local residents.

Let us remind you that in early February 2012, Dokku Umarov announced changing the status of the civilian population of Russia, whom he earlier treated as his enemies for non-resistance to the policy of the current government, and ordered his subordinates to avoid attacks on civilian targets.

After on October 7, 2007, Dokku Umarov declared the Islamic state "Imarat Kavkaz", his supporters organized a series of explosions and terror acts, including those committed by suicide bombers. In 2009, the emphasis in the ideology of their struggle was shifted from the political to religious aspect, and in February 2010, Dokku Umarov expanded the concept of "enemy" and stated that starting from that time, the struggle of militants would also be targeted at civilian population for non-resistance to the policy of the current government. Then, the militant leader stated that from the Caucasus, the combat zone would be expanded to the entire territory of Russia and the war would return to houses of Russians "it would not be only on TV sets somewhere far away in the Caucasus." Dokku Umarov declared reckoning of the civilian population of Russia to his enemies also shortly after the terror act in the Moscow "Domodedovo" Airport, committed on January 24, 2011, when he took responsibility for the terror act and stated that militants were attacking the civilian population of Russia to establish a "free Islamic state" in Northern Caucasus. He called the terror act in the "Domodedovo" Airport "a response to Russia's crimes in the Caucasus."

In one of his recent video messages, which was recorded on November 13 and addressed to Syrian militants, Dokku Umarov asked them to pray for the "jihad in the Caucasus". He noted that the process was not over, a website, supporting the armed underground, reports.

The ongoing attacks on civilians were also reported by Gordon Hahn, the well-known American expert, the researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "The 'Imarat Kavkaz' represents a serious emerging global threat. By the fifth anniversary of its establishment, the 'Imarat Kavkaz' itself or other formations with its participation committed more than 2200 attacks and acts of violence, which killed about 1800 and injured 2600 policemen, military men and civilian officials and also killed more than 450 and wounded 1200 civilians. The extremists are responsible for the recent killings and injuries of the spiritual leaders of Muslims in Dagestan and Tatarstan," the "ITAR-TASS" quotes Gordon Hahn as saying.

Militant continue attacks on civilian population in Northern Caucasus

The fact that the militants continue their terrorist activities in Northern Caucasus is confirmed by a number of terror acts, shootings and other attacks on civilian objects, committed in the region, in which not only representatives of law enforcement agencies, but also civilian population suffered.

Apart from the explosion, committed on August 28 by suicide bomber Aminat Kurbanova in the house of Sufi Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkavi in the village of Chirkei of the Buinaksk District of Dagestan, which killed seven persons, including Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkavi, and injured three persons, since February 2012 , in Northern Caucasus, more five terror acts were committed against representatives of the law enforcement and power agencies. They injured at least 44 civilians, and in total, at least 156 persons fell victim to those terror acts. Of these, 31 persons were killed and 125 wounded.

In different regions of Northern Caucasus, the militants also continue attacks on shops, cafes, and petrol stations. According to calculations of the "Caucasian Knot" based on own materials of the edition and information from open sources, starting from February 2012, at least 17 civilians fell victim to those incidents. Of these, 2 were killed and 15 wounded.

The above statistics cannot reflect with absolute accuracy the number of victims. Not all the data get into news reports. It is not always possible to verify the reliability of statements made by law enforcement agencies.

Starting February 2012 till present, in Northern Caucasus, there were also many cases of armed attacks and explosions against civilians, unemployed persons, entrepreneurs, retailers, imams of mosques, local leaders, shepherds, hunters, and traditional healers. At least 76 persons fell victims to such attacks. Of these, 55 persons were killed and 21 wounded. In many of those cases, power agents and local residents themselves claimed involvement of the armed underground in the crimes.

Civilians also often fell victims in militants' attacks on power agents. During the same period, in the course of such incidents, in 11 cases, 15 civilians fell victims. Of these, 7 persons were killed and 8 wounded.