Power agents' data on militants' losses in Chechnya differs significantly

The numbers on the members of the armed underground liquidated and detained in 2010 in the territory of Chechnya announced by the federal forces and the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) differ from each other.

On December 22, 2010, at the sitting in Grozny of top law enforcement bosses, Roman Edilov, deputy head of the Chechen MIA, said that since January 87 members of the armed underground, including three field commanders, were liquidated in Chechnya. The total number of detained militants and their helpers made 220 persons. President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov demanded to intensify search and liquidation operations, saying that over the past two months only "five shaitans" were killed.

Earlier, on December 20, at the sitting in Khankala guidance of the command of the Temporary Operative Grouping of subdivisions and bodies of Russian MIA (known as "VOGOiP"), other figures were announced: 80 liquidated members of the armed underground and about 180 helpers detained during 11 months of 2010 in the territory of the republic.

The federal power agents explain the difference in figures by the fact that their Chechen colleagues had overestimated the militants' losses.

"In recent years, we see a trend, when commanders of Chechen power overstate their achievements. Ramzan Kadyrov encourages those who conduct successful special operations against the rebels. For their results they receive state awards, money, expensive cars, or, for example, Stechkin pistols. Therefore, every commander is trying to 'give result'. From here - the difference in statistics," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent learnt from a source from the Military Commandant of Chechnya.

In his opinion, local power commanders, in their zeal to distinguish themselves in the eyes of the republic's leader, in fact misinform him.

In their turn, local power bosses assert that the federals give wrong figures.

"Most special operations are conducted by local power agents; officials from the Russian MIA and militaries may simply not know about them," said a spokesman from law enforcement bodies of Chechnya.