Father of Akhmad Akrashev, killed in Grozny, served at "West" special battalion, source reports

The father of Akhmad Akrashev, one of the killed men involved in shootouts with law enforcers in Grozny on December 17 and 18, perished in Grozny during a special operation carried out against militants in 2005. Istamul Mamaev and Ibragim Mazhaev, two other men involved in the shootout, were put on police prevention registration lists. The killed Islam Altemirov was a student of a Saratov institution of higher education, and he arrived in the Chechen capital on December 14. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by a source from the local police.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening on December 17, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime was introduced in Grozny. Power agents reported that four militants had been killed in a shootout, and two others were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. In the afternoon on December 18, they blocked a private house in an outskirt of Grozny. According to power agents, three militants were killed there, and two others were detained. Thus, in total, during two days, seven militants were killed, and four others were detained, three of them were wounded. Four policemen were also killed; and one policeman was wounded.

"In general, people expressed negative opinions about Istamul Mamaev, while they generally spoke of Akhmad Akrashev as of a calm and quiet guy. Like Ibragim Mazhaev, Istamul Mamaev was put on a police prevention registration list as a person prone to extremism," said the source.

The father of Akhmad Akrashev used to serve at the Chief Intelligence Directorate (CID) "West" special battalion. In 2005, he was killed during a special operation against militants, reports the source.

"The guy [Akhmad Akrashev] lived with his mother and sister, and it is difficult to explain how he was involved in such a grouping. Although, according to his friends, recently, perhaps under the influence of his older comrades, he began to pay much attention to religious issues, and he persuaded his mother and sister to wear hijabs," said a policeman.

He has also reported that Islam Altemirov, a killed resident of Chechnya, was a student of a Saratov institution of higher education, and he came to Grozny together with his girlfriend.

"His girlfriend, an 18-year-old girl, arrived in Grozny together with him. She had a gunshot wound in the course of a special operation," said the policeman.

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