Two men killed in Gali District of Abkhazia identified

Law enforcers have identified two persons killed in a shootout in the Gali District of Abkhazia, who allegedly participated in the kidnapping of a local resident. A regime of special operation is still valid in the Gali District, and the law enforcers are looking for other members of the grouping of kidnappers.

Let us remind you that on January 12, Gela Gergedava, a resident of the village of Khiatskha of the Gali District, appealed to the law enforcement bodies and stated that he was kidnapped and managed to escape. He killed one of the kidnappers with a knife, and the other two criminals were injured.

On the same day, in the village of Rep, the law enforcers have declared a special operation to search for the kidnappers. A shootout occurred during the special operation. Five persons were reported killed, including a staff member of the anti-terrorist centre of the State Security Service of Abkhazia and a military man of the Border Guard Service of the Russian FSB.

The two suspected kidnappers have been identified. One of them, Djato Akubardiya (according to the law enforcers, he led the criminal grouping), was stabbed and killed by Gela Gergedava. The other kidnapper was identified as Levan Khargeliya, a resident of Georgia, born in 1985. One more killed man is still to be identified.

The killed men were members of the criminal grouping "engaged in acts of robbery and kidnapping of local residents for ransom," the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Abkhazia reports.

According to Raul Lolua, the Abkhazian Minister of Internal Affairs, the Gali District is the most criminal one in Abkhazia. The Minister has added that "measures to improve the crime situation in the Gali District are under development."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.