On December 23-29, 2013, 22 persons fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

During the week from December 23 to December 29, 2013, the ongoing armed conflict in Northern Caucasus brought sufferings to at least 22 people; of them, 15 persons lost their lives, and seven more were wounded. These are the results of the calculations made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

The death toll includes one law enforcer in Dagestan, seven civilians – three in Dagestan and Stavropol Territory each, and one in Kabardino-Balkaria, and seven persons suspected of involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs) – six to one in Dagestan and one in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Attacks on law enforcers

On December 25, in Buynaksk, policemen stopped a car to check documents. According to power agents, the people inside the car opened fire on them. Three attackers were killed by response fire. During the shooting, two policemen were wounded. Later, the casualties were identified as Murad Mamaev, Abubakar Bammatov and Yusupgadji Kamilov. According to investigators, they were members of the "Buynaksk" grouping and were involved in several attacks on law enforcers.

On December 25, in Derbent, two unidentified persons opened fire on an investigator of the Derbent ROVD (District Interior Division), when he came out of the gym. The policeman died from his wounds.

Special operations and counterterrorist operations (CTOs)

On December 26, CTO regime was introduced in Division One of the Gereikhanov State Farm, located in the Suleiman-Stalsky District of Dagestan. One of the households was blocked. A suspected militant, who was inside, was offered to surrender, but opened fire on law enforcers, according to the police. In the course of the storm, Madrid Babakhanov, a member of the so-called "Southern" grouping of militants, was killed.

On December 27, law enforcers blocked several militants in a private household, located in the outskirt of the village of Petrakovskoe, Khasavyurt District of Dagestan. The village was put under the CTO regime. When offered to surrender, the blocked persons opened fire on law enforcers. In the course of the operation, an explosive device detonated inside, which the militants had planned to use for committing a terror act. The explosion killed one militant, who was later identified as Islam Atiev, a suspect of committing killings in the Khasavyurt District, including of a girl on December 25.

On December 29, the CTO regime was introduced in the Gereikhanov State Farm, located in the Suleiman-Stalsky District of Dagestan. In the course of a special operation, a suspect of involvement in IAFs was discovered and killed. Policemen did not suffer.

Explosions and terror acts

On December 27, a Lada Kalina car was blown up in Circassian Highway in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Territory, in the vicinity of a varnish factory "Spectrum" and the GIBDD (traffic police) building; the blast killed three bystanders.

On December 29, in Derbent, two explosions occurred simultaneously at grocery stores – the "Panorama" in Sovietskaya Street and "Orpheus" in Gagarin Street. There were no casualties or victims, but the stores were essentially damaged. According to the GOVD (City Interior Division), the bombs were detonated in connection with the fact that the stores sell alcohol.

Attacks on civilians

On December 24, in the village of Psykhurey, Baksan District of Kabardino-Balkaria, two unidentified persons, allegedly IAF members, entered the household of a local resident Olga Didanova, who was treating people with folk remedies, shot her dead and disappeared. According to investigators, the folk healer was killed by militants.

On December 25, in the village Mutsalaul, Khasavyurt District of Dagestan, unidentified assailants made an armed attack on a private house, killing an 11-year-old girl; her mother and a man who was in the house were taken to hospital with serious wounds. The investigators' priority version is that the crime was committed by members of a local the terrorist group. The reason for the attack could be the fact that the hostess of the house sold alcohol.

On December 29, in the Khasavyurt District, an unidentified person shot dead Gusein Guseinov, the owner of the cafe "Caravan", located on the highway Makhachkala-Khasavyurt, near the village of Endirey-Aul. According to investigators, the killed man had repeatedly received threats demanding from him to stop selling alcohol.