On December 29-January 4, at least 6 persons fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

During the week of December 29, 2014-January 4, 2015, at least six persons suffered in the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, two persons were killed, and four others were wounded. These are the results of calculations made by the"Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

According to the law enforcement bodies, all the killed persons were members of the armed underground in Chechnya.

Special and counterterrorist operations

On January 1, 2015, field commander Musa Zavgaev and his accomplice Bashir Omarov were blocked in a house on the outskirts of the Cossack village of Mekenskaya of the Naur District of Chechnya. When offered to surrender, they opened fire and were killed by return fire. According to the authorities, since 2000, Musa Zavgaev called himself the emir of the Nadterechny and Naur Districts. He was involved in the assassinations of policemen and other officials. Both killed men were associated with the criminal grouping of Tagilov, a leader of the western sector of the underground. That criminal grouping was directly involved in the attack on Grozny committed by militants in December. During the special operation carried out in Mekenskaya, four law enforcers were slightly wounded by shrapnel of a tubular grenade. No civilian suffered.

Bombings and terror acts

At 7:22 p.m. of December 12, 2014, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated at the fourth kilometre of the highway Vremenny-Shamilkala. The explosion occurred on the side of the road when a convoy of "Ural" and KamAZ vehicles with policemen was driving by. On December 31, 2014, two residents of the village of Kharachi of the Untsukul District were brought to the police station. According to law enforcers, the villagers admitted their involvement in the explosion. Both suspects were detained.

Detentions

On December 18, at the stationary checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Kizlyar, a group of law enforcers stopped a Gazel truck driven by Magomed Kurbanov, a resident of the Akusha District of Dagestan. The law enforcers searched the car without presenting a wanted bulletin. During the search, the law enforcers found a gas pistol transformed into a battle weapon and 121 grams of marijuana. Magomed Kurbanov was brought to an IBS (temporary detention facility), and on December 20, the Kizlyar District Court announced the pre-trial restriction measure against Magomed Kurbanov in the form of detention in custody for a period of two months. According to the detainee's relatives, the detected weapon and drugs do not belong to Magomed Kurbanov, and his detention is connected with his Salafi belief. The information was received on January 1, 2015.

Disappearances

In early December 2014, eight residents of the Chechen Republic disappeared or were kidnapped.

On December 5, Zambek Yakuev, a resident of the village of Rubezhnoe of the Naur District, born in 1983, disappeared. He was driving home with his friends, and at the entrance to the village, he met a checkpoint with armed men in green camouflage. They stopped the car and asked the young men to introduce themselves. When Zambek Yakuev mentioned his name, the armed men asked him to go with them. They failed to explain anything or to produce their documents. They only said that they had questions to ask him. The armed men took Zambek Yakuev away to some unknown destination. Since then, there is no information about his whereabouts.

On December 6, Lechi Umarov, born in 1991, a cousin of Zambek Yakuev, was kidnapped from his house in the village of Rubezhnoe of the Naur District. Early in the morning, his house was approached by two unidentified men in civilian clothes. They claimed that they were staff members of the Criminal Investigating Department. However, they failed to present any papers. They said that they had come to take Lechi Umarov with them and that they had several questions to ask him. The men promised to set Lechi Umarov free till lunch and took him away with them. Since then, the whereabouts of Lechi Umarov is unknown.

At about 10:30 a.m. of December 7, Israpil Tsamaligov, a resident of the village of Kulary of the Grozny (rural) District, born in 1984, was kidnapped. His house was approached by two men in civilian clothes, who introduced themselves as staff members of the Grozny (rural) District OVD (Interior Division) and asked him to come with them to the OVD, and he surrendered. According to the available information, Israpil Tsamaligov never entered the OVD, and his mobile phone was switched off. Since then, the whereabouts of Israpil Tsamaligov is unknown.

Besides, in early December, five residents of the village of Rubezhnoe disappeared, including Abdulla Aziev, Kazbek Kerimov, and three Aliev brothers. Their relatives refused to speak with human rights activists. The information was received on December 31.