In Chechnya, artillery wounds two locals

On March 10, in the south-west of Chechnya, in the foothill Achkhoi-Martan District, the shelling by militaries of the forest, two local residents, who were gathering wild leek, were wounded. They are now in grave condition.

"In the mountain and forest area of the Achkhoi-Martan District, a few kilometres off the village of Bamut, when militaries were shelling a possible location of members of illegal armed formations (IAFs), two local residents, who were gathering the wild leek (ramson), received fragmental wounds and were taken to hospital," a source from the Military Commandant of Chechnya has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, the collectors of the wild leek went into the woods in an Ural truck, despite the alert of the public that the area was closed because of possible militants hiding there.

"They were in the forest, right when the area was under shelling. An elderly man and a young guy received wounds of varying severity. There were no other victims," said the source.

Meanwhile, residents of Achkhoi-Martan assert that they received no warnings from the militaries.

"Militaries shell forests with and without reasons; and nobody actually warns the population. Gathering the wild leek is the main occupation for many local people, because the district, like other mountainous districts, sees high unemployment; and people have to deal with this very hard and low-paid job," Sultan M., resident of the district centre Achkhoi-Martan, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Ibragim Z., another district resident, power agents do not warn locals about forthcoming shelling, as the information can reach militants.