Experts see links of two this week's attacks on law enforcers in Stavropol Territory

The attacks on law enforcers in the Stavropol Territory indicate the intention of the armed underground to self-reorganize and be active outside of the "hottest" republics of Northern Caucasus, state the experts, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

At night on April 16, two persons were killed in a shootout near the village Sernovodskaya in the Kursk District of the Stavropol Territory. They were identified as Umar Besleneev and Rashid Ustarkhanov.

The attacks may be interconnected, but unlikely directly through the "Islamic State" (IS) (recognized in Russia as a terrorist organization, – note of "Caucasian Knot"), believes Alexei Malashenko, a member of the Scientific Council of the Moscow Carnegie Centre. In his opinion, these attacks may indicate a resumption of the activity of militants from the "Imarat Kavkaz" (an organization banned in Russia, – note of the "Caucasian Knot").

Andrei Areshev, the editor-in-chief of the website of the Scientific Society of Caucasian Scientists and an expert of the Foundation of Strategic Culture, has noted that the shootout near Sernovodskaya was the second recent resonant incident in the Stavropol Territory, which has a reputation as a calm region.

Ruslan Martagov, a political scientist and a former consultant of the "Anti-terror" Foundation (in 2005-2008), believes that the attacks suggest that in the future we may expect a serious intensification of the armed underground, and not only in Northern Caucasus.

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