Chechen television showed former militant calling his comrades to come back home

On September 9, one of the republic's TV Channels showed a report with participation of a former member of an illegal armed formation (IAF). The ex-militant told about the panic reigning among the members of the armed underground and called his former comrades-in-arms to come back home.

As stated in the report, the resident of the Vedeno District, aged 19, run away on the eve of the broadcast from a militants' grouping and came straight to one of district departments of militia in Grozny.

"Today in the morning, I made a final decision, and even not sure that I'll stay alive, I left. Nobody touched me in the militia. I call all those who are still in the forest to come back home, until they haven't shed blood and until they haven't done a great harm," the former participant of the armed underground said. "I've passed through mines and ambushes; I went on that purposefully, for I believe that for me it would be better to die, without soiling myself with someone's blood, than, having killed someone, endanger all my relatives and all my kin."

"I had thought that by joining militants I make my Jihad. Now I'm firmly convinced that it was not the right way. We were told that we should kill militiamen, irrespective of whether they participate in operations or not," the repented militant asserted.

"Those who today go to the mountains are unaware of the true situation; they don't know what they should pass through. They will lose their health; they'll be forced to kill; and there will be no way back," he has emphasized. "Today, members of IAFs are in panic because of incessant special operations; they have no chance to replenish their foodstuffs, although this is the time now to make stocks for the winter; they can't equip their bases; their arms are worn-out; and they lack ordnance."

Local observers remark that recently the republic's TV channels began showing reports with participation of detained or voluntarily surrendered militants.