On February 20-26, two persons fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

At least two persons suffered in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus in the period from February 20 to February 26: one person was killed and one wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot", based on their own materials and information from other public sources.

Attacks on law enforcers

At night on February 23, a traffic police inspector was shot dead in the Chechen capital. Local residents believe that the reason for the killing was in his professional activities.

In the capital of Dagestan, on February 20, a man tried to open fire at the policemen, who checked his documents. By the return fire he was wounded in his leg and then detained. The policemen were not hurt. The detainee had been earlier convicted under Article 318 of the Russian Criminal Code (use of violence against a state official).

Explosions, terror acts, detection of improvised explosive devices (IEDs)

In Dagestan, on February 20, unidentified persons threw a grenade into the yard of the house of Arif Omarov, a former Deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Dagestan of the first convocation. Nobody was hurt, but the grenade fragments broke the glass in the windows.

On February 26, an IED was found on a rural road in the Kizilyurt District of Dagestan, 200 meters off the dwelling settlement of Novy Sulak. It was made in the form of a 65-litre container stuffed with the explosive and striking elements. The power of the bomb, which was neutralized by sappers, was 50-55 kilograms of TNT (trotyl) equivalent.

In the evening on February 26, law enforcement bodies of the region reported about detection of two IEDs in Makhachkala: one was found near the entrance to the restaurant "Olympus" in Shamil Avenue; and the second - in Akushinsky Street on the sidewalk next to a high-rise building. Later, sappers established that the suspicious object found in Akushinsky Street was a hoax; however, the bomb found in Shamil Avenue was neutralized.

Detentions

On February 24, in Astrakhan, Chechen law enforcers conducted an operation and detained a suspected IAF (illegal armed formation) member, a 24-year-old resident of the Shali District of Chechnya. The detainee was searched for committing crimes envisioned by the articles of "Organization of or participation in IAFs" and "Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or bearing of weapons, its main parts, ammunition, explosive devices and explosives".

On February 20, investigatory bodies of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) for the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) reported about detention of two members of the grouping, involved in organizing the explosion in Makhachkala last September. The ICRF asserts that the detainees were members of the religious-extremist grouping under command of a certain Eldos Zulfugarov. At the request of the investigation, they were put in custody. Depending on the role of each of them, they will be charged under Articles 105, 205, 317, 208, 167 and 222 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder, terror act, encroachment on the life of a law enforcer, wilful destruction of property, and illegal trafficking in weapons).

On February 21, detentions began in Dagestan - in the village of Komsomolskoe, Kizilyurt District. According to the local resident Sirazhudin Gadjiev, his son was detained for a grenade, allegedly found in his house. Later it became known about detention of more than 30 people. On February 22, 29 people were released, and on February 24, the rest of the detainees were released.

Two residents of the villages of Chinar and Tatlyar, Derbent District of Dagestan, were detained during special actions on suspicion of acquisition and possession of weapons; it became known on February 22, but the detention was made on February 19. The wife of one of the detainees asserts that during a search power agents beat her husband and confiscated the weapons, which was not his.

Disappearances

Leila Borova, a resident of Nazran, has turned to the city police about disappearance of her son Ababukar Borov, 20. According to her story, the young man left home on October 10, 2011, and nothing was known about him since. Earlier, Ababukar Borov had twice left home and went to work in Stavropol. The Ingush Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported that the woman's application was accepted, and operative actions were underway to find the missing person.

On February 21, in Dagestan, Gimry villagers blocked the highway Makhachkala-Botlikh, demanding from the authorities to disclose the fate of the kidnapped local resident - Magomed Gamzatov, 40. His disappearance was reported by his wife. According to her story, her husband was taken away by about ten unidentified armed men in camouflage and masks. On February 22, it became known that the detainee was released, and people dispersed. Magomed Gamzatov himself argues that his kidnapping was organized by law enforcers.