Salafi mosque in Novy Kurush remains closed

Residents of the Dagestani village of Novy Kurush, where the Imam of a Sufi mosque was killed, report on calm atmosphere in the village. According to them, the local Salafi mosque remains closed, and while alive, the villagers killed during the recent special operation were subjected to pressure by law enforcers.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 17, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) legal regime was introduced in the Khasavyurt District. During the special operation, law enforcers killed four men, including Sardarov brothers, who were wanted on suspicion of killing Imam Khidirov.

According to a villager, all four men killed during the special operation were residents of the village of Novy Kurush, and one of them had an earlier criminal record for aiding and abetting militants.

"As far as I know, the Sardarov brothers were not wanted prior to the Imam's murder... And recently, Djumrat Shikhragimov has been sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment for aiding and abetting militants," said the man.

According to him, relatives of Djumrat Shikhragimov reported after his detention that he had been subjected to torture.

Another villager of Novy Kurush has reported that the wife of Alkhas Sardarov was asked by law enforcers to leave the house where they lived.

According to a source from the police, investigators have reasonable grounds to suggest that the Imam was killed by the Sardarov brothers.

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