21:14, 7 September 2004

House explosion in Chechen village

A mortar shell caused an explosion of a dwelling house in the village of Chechen-Aul, Chechnya's Grozny district. On the night of September 5, the private house was completely destroyed as a result of the explosion in the village of Chechen-Aul. Investigators have established the happening was caused by mortar fire. "We've established that the village of Chechen-Aul was bombarded with mortar shells on the night on September 5. Locals assert the bombardment came from the direction of the Russian military unit stationed in the vicinity of the village. Several shells exploded in the immediate center of the village. The house of local Yurtkhanova was completely destroyed as a result of it. The aged woman herself sustained many injuries as she was pressed down by a collapsed house wall," an officer of the Chechen Interior Ministry said to the Caucasian Knot correspondent. Chechen-Aul residents are utterly indignant about the incident. The republican military commandant's staff have refused to give any comments, claiming conclusions will be made up only after investigation is over.

Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot