A Chechen killed near border had to join militants, his relatives claim

After his release from a penal colony in 2014, Arbi Bantaev, who was killed in the Kursk Region on September 30, "was not left along by Chechen law enforcers," and he had to return to militants. This was claimed by his relatives.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Arbi Bantaev, a native of Chechnya, one of the men killed in the Kursk Region in a shootout with border guards, was sentenced to six years of imprisonment for involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs).

After his release from the penal colony, he left for the forest to join militants, reported Ukrainian journalist Yuri Butusov. According to his information, earlier, Akhmat, an Arbi Bantaev's brother, was shot dead during a "cleanup operation," in 2007, Alikhan, another brother of Arbi Bantaev, disappeared, and in 2014, Ramzan Bantaev, one more brother, also disappeared.

According to a source from the law enforcement agencies of Chechnya, Arbi Bantaev was a member of a criminal grouping operating in the Achkhoi-Martan and Urus-Martan Districts of the republic, and he was involved in grave and especially grave crimes.

The body of Arbi Bantaev has not yet been delivered to the republic, noted his female relative.

The fate of two Arbi Bantaev's brothers is still unknown, said Aslanbek, their fellow villager.

"Arbi himself was a militant, like his brothers. One of the brothers was killed in a special operation in 2004, and another was killed in 2012. One more brother was kidnapped by law enforcers in 2007, and the youngest brother disappeared in 2014," said a resident of the Komsomolskoye village.

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