On December 8-14, fifteen people fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

During the week from December 8 to December 14, 2014, the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus brought harm to at least 15 people; of them, 14 people were lost, and one was wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

All the casualties are, according to law enforcement bodies, the persons involved in activities of the armed underground: 10 of them were killed in Dagestan, and four – in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Attacks on law enforcers

On December 9, at the intersection of I. Shamil and A. Akushinsky Avenues in Makhachkala, policemen stopped a car for inspection. In response to the demand to present documents, the driver opened fire from a pistol and was killed by policemen's return fire. He was identified as Ruslan Darsamov, the leader of the "Makhachkala" armed grouping.

On December 10, at the corner of Irchi Kazak and Yaragsky Streets in Makhachkala power agents tried to stop a suspicious Toyota Camry car for inspection. A fire was opened on them from inside the car; by response fire two persons inside the car were shot dead. One policeman was wounded. The casualties were later pre-identified as Murad Mamedov and Marat Bolatkhanov. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), they were members of the "Makhachkala" armed grouping.

On December 12, in the Kayakent District of Dagestan, two members of the "Izberbash" grouping were killed. One of them was pre-identified as Magomed Kamalov, a resident of Izberbash, whose disappearance was earlier reported by relatives, who do not believe in his involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs).

Special and counterterrorist operations

On December 11, a part of the city of Nalchik was put under counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime. Power agents blocked in a five-storey residential house a group of alleged IAF members. Residents of the house were evacuated. Negotiations were held with the blocked militants; however, they refused to surrender. Then, a fight burst out; and four suspected militants were killed.

On December 12, in the village of Gurbuki, Karabudakhkent District of Dagestan, law enforcers blocked a private house with several suspected militants inside. The calls to surrender addressed to them were answered with shooting. During the armed clash, five persons locked in the house were killed. One of the leaders of the central sector of the Dagestani armed underground was pre-identified among the casualties; a woman was among them.

Explosions and terror acts

On December 14, on a mountain road in the Untsukul District of Dagestan, an improvised explosive device (IED) was triggered. As a result of the explosion three police cars were damaged. Nobody of the policemen was hurt.

Detentions

On December 8, a resident of the Sunzha District of Ingushetia was detained on suspicion of complicity in the armed underground. According to investigators, from August to December 2014, the 37-year-old resident supplied the IAFs, operating in the territory of Ingushetia, with foodstuffs and provided housing to them.

On December 9, it was reported that a resident of Makhachkala Kamil Guliev, who was claimed kidnapped by his wife, was at the temporary detention facility (IVS) of the Karabudakhkent ROVD (District Interior Division) as a suspect in the illegal arms circulation. Guliev relatives are sure that the case against him was fabricated.

On December 9-11, Chechnya saw at least two detentions of young people by power agents, as reported by residents of the city of Argun and the village of Avtury of Chechnya. On December 9, in the Shali District of Chechnya, according to local residents, power agents kidnapped several young men and took them to some unknown place.

On December 12, after the Friday namaz (prayer), power agents detained believers of the mosque located in Leninkent settlement of Makhachkala. According to eyewitnesses, the detention was made by policemen from the Kirov ROVD of Makhachkala.